Sex assault suspects identified and busted

It appears as if two homeless women chatted up the wrong guys on an evening in June …

For some reason, many people – including the homeless – seem drawn to the corner of SE 82^nd Avenue and SE Powell Boulevard.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Although detectives from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Sex Crimes Unit say that stranger-to-strangers sexual assaults are a rare occurrence, two homeless women were beaten and raped by strangers on the evening of June 18.

“The two victims are transients, who frequent 82nd Avenue,” said PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Pete Simpson.

“A 27-year-old victim met with two suspects earlier in the day and was sexually assaulted later that night – approximately an hour after the suspects had sexually assaulted a 44-year-old victim,” Simpson said.

Just a block away from the intersection, SE Powell Boulevard is relatively dark, with many secluded areas providing cover for illicit and illegal activities.

He added that the older woman was admitted to a Portland hospital with “numerous facial and chest injuries suffered during the sexual assault. The younger victim was sexually assaulted, then beaten with a metal wrench – which caused head, wrist, and hand injuries.”

That evening, PPB East Precinct officers, working with Sex Crimes Detectives, positively identified the suspects as being 21-year-old Bradley James Ritmiller and 20-year-old Bobby Lee Alsup III.

Working with Multnomah County Parole and Probation, detectives were able to arrest Ritmiller on June 23, and Alsup on June 26, and book them both into jail on parole violations. Now they face further charges, of course.

21-year-old Bradley James Ritmiller and 20-year-old Bobby Lee Alsup III both face multiple charges, including rape, kidnap and assault.

“On July 26, a Multnomah County Grand Jury indicted the men on charges of Sodomy in the First Degree (two counts), Rape in the First Degree, Kidnap in the First Degree (three counts), Assault in the Second Degree (two counts), and Assault in the Third Degree,” Simpson said.
Ritmiller remains in the Multnomah County Jail, and Alsup is in the Clackamas County Jail.
“Detectives are concerned that there may be additional victims of sexual violence, and would like to hear from anyone with information about these cases or suspects,” Simpson requested.

Anyone with information about this case or any other victims is asked to contact Detective Cory Stenzel at (503) 823-0453 or Cory.Stenzel@PortlandOregon.gov

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