An assault on the Eastbank Esplanade has resulted in the arrest of a suspect and Bias Crime charges. Dylan J. Kesterson, 34, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Bias Crime in the First Degree and Bias Crime in the Second Degree (2 counts).
Under Oregon law, bias crimes are defined as any criminal act that targets a victim based on the suspect’s perception of the victim’s race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or national origin. There is still work being done to determine whether or not bias elements are present during the reported crime that align with Oregon law as defined in the Oregon Revised Statutes.
It all happened on a Saturday afternoon, July 2, 2022. Central Precinct Officers were dispatched to a report of an assault in progress at the Eastbank Esplanade. The area is south of the Hawthorne Bridge. As officers responded, they learned that the suspect was leaving the scene. Officers located and detained the man nearby.
The police contacted the victims. One is a 36-year-old man from California. He was with his wife and 5-year-old daughter. Cops learned that they were hurt but they did not require immediate medical attention. Officers learned that the man was riding bikes with his wife and daughter when the suspect approached, made comments about the family being of Japanese descent. He began punching the man on his head.
The suspect then punched the 5-year-old girl on her bike helmet multiple times. Nearby witnesses quickly intervened and the suspect began walking away. Several witnesses remained at the scene and provided statements to investigating officers.
