It looks as if this spurned lover took out her anger on the 3-year-old daughter of her boyfriend. Find out why police are calling this a “troubling domestic violence” case …
Neighbors on this working-class street in the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood say they’d never heard the couple fight or fuss – until police swarmed the area.
Story and photo by David F. Ashton
Talking to a group of neighbors, new Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct Commander Michael Reese reported in a January 4 meeting that although overall crime is down across the City and in outer East Portland, “It’s been a tough year for domestic violence; some of the cases we’ve seen have been tragic.”
As an example, he pointed to a January 2nd police call in the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood that came in about 5:15 p.m. It was in the 3300 block of SE 129th Avenue; the father of a little girl called the 9-1-1 Center asking for help.
“It came in as a domestic disturbance call; a man and woman were involved in a dispute. Investigators believe man wanted to end the relationship,” Reese said.
When officers arrived, a woman was about to leave the residence and allegedly threatened to harm officers with a weapon. “Officers interviewed the man and woman separately; and then searched the residence. They found the wounded girl, and got her medical attention immediately,” Reese related.
From what we learned, a 3-year-old girl, the daughter of the man, was allegedly hit and then stabbed with a knife, by the woman.
This woman, 22-year-old Serenity Sanchez, is accused of assaulting a toddler during a dispute with the little girl’s father.
“The female suspect in this stabbing has been identified as 22 year old, Serenity Sanchez,” said PPB spokesman, Sergeant Greg Stewart. Sanchez was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of Assault in the First Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, he said.
“According to accusations revealed Monday in court, the little girl – though she horribly injured – was conscious enough to tell medics that she’d been asleep in her room when Sanchez came in and started hitting her, then started slashing her with a knife,” reported KOIN Local 6 News.
The child is now in stable condition at Doernbecher’s Children Hospital, family members have told the media.
After pleading Not Guilty at her arraignment, Sanchez is being held on bonds totaling more than $500,000. She is scheduled to appear in court again on January 12.
Neighbors along SE of SE 129th Avenue, just north of SE Powell Blvd., say the victim was always smiling when they passed by the house.
© 2010 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
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