PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland man is alive after being stabbed 15 times in an attack seemingly motivated by a desire for his lottery winnings, according to court documents. The suspect now faces attempted murder, robbery and assault charges.
According to a probable cause document, the victim was out at a bar on Southeast Stark Street near 117th Avenue on Saturday when he won $2,000 from a lottery machine inside. During his time at the bar, the victim reported meeting a man later identified as 61-year-old Pablo Andres Figueroa.
The victim then walked home to his apartment building, located a few blocks away on Southeast Ash Street. He used his key to unlock a secured gate, the affidavit says — and Figueroa, who'd followed the man home, caught the gate before it could close behind the victim.
Figueroa then allegedly followed the victim up to the second floor, where the victim's apartment was located. At one point, the affidavit says, surveillance video showed Figueroa shadowing the man, just a few paces behind.
As the victim opened the door to his unit, Figueroa allegedly forced his way through the door and tackled the man, pinning his arms to the ground. The affidavit claims Figueroa hit the victim in the face and demanded money.
Though the victim complied and handed over some of the cash, the affidavit says, Figueroa wasn't satisfied and pulled out a pocketknife — allegedly stabbing the victim 15 times in the arms, chest and face. The victim told police he began to "black out" and decided to play dead.
It's unclear from the affidavit how police were called to respond, but they reviewed security footage from the building and realized that Figueroa hadn't been seen leaving, leading them to believe that he was still there. An employee said they recognized Figueroa, identifying him by his first name.
Police later found Figueroa in the building's trash room, the affidavit says. They used mace to take the man into custody, noting his bloody pants and $624 in cash. After searching the victim's apartment, officers found a pocketknife secreted in a cat litter box.
Isaiah Mitchell is a neighbor of the victim, having lived in the same building for about six months. He said violence in the area isn't a new occurrence.
"Me and my girlfriend were sleeping — of course it was like 2 a.m. or something — and she woke me up because she heard yelling, dogs barking. It turned out to be the police dog," Mitchell said. "We literally looked out of our peephole and the cops were circling around the recycling room, which is right across, and we were just like, 'Wow this is crazy.'"
Mitchell said he saw police pull Figueroa from the room and could see the blood on him.
"It was pretty wild," he said. "Stabbing him over $2,000 is crazy."
According to Mitchell, he and his girlfriend are about to have a child. While they intended to move before the birth, he said times have been too tough to make it happen.
"People just enjoying themselves and whatever," Mitchell mused. "Dude hit the lotto and dude thought he would take advantage and follow him home. People out here … they’re just trying to come up. Whatever they gotta do I guess … it’s crazy."
Figueroa was arraigned Monday on charges of second-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree robbery, one count first-degree assault, two counts first-degree burglary, and unlawful use of a weapon. He has since plead not guilty to all charges.
Court records show that Figueroa has a well-established history of evading courtrooms. In November 2022, Portland police arrested him in connection with two stolen vehicles. He was released from jail the next day and has repeatedly failed to appear for Multnomah County court dates ever since, resulting in judges issuing a series of arrest warrants. The latest warrant in that case was issued July 2.
Another case, this one for identify theft in Washington County, has been ongoing since early 2021. A judge just issued yet another arrest warrant on Aug. 16, the day before the stabbing.
Figueroa's criminal history dates back to at least 2011, when he was convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in California. He earned a 2018 felony conviction in Arkansas for failing to report as a sex offender, according to a public safety assessment report conducted after this most recent arrest.
This time, the report gave him the highest possible marks on respective scales for risk of failure to appear and new criminal activity. He's currently being held in Multnomah County jail pending a detention hearing.