Two Portland men were arrested early Saturday morning after an attack on a gay man and a good samaritan who stepped in to help.
Portland Police spokesperson, Lt. Robert King, said just before 3 a.m. Saturday morning, 28-year-old Shawn Siefke and 21-year-old Christian Sanchez-Villavicencio asked a man walking in Old Town for directions, then began to harass him, calling him derogatory gay names and pushing him to the ground.
Andrew Smith, a 24-year-old from Newport, Oregon, was in Portland attending a concert with his friend Friday night, and saw the man being harassed by Siefke and Christian Sanchez-Villavicencio, and stepped in to defend him.
"I stepped in to help the man because I thought to myself, what if that was my little brother?" Smith said.
Smith said before he knew it, punches were thrown and he was face down on the ground being kicked in the head.
Siefke and Sanchez-Villavicencio left Smith wounded and laying in the intersection of NW 2nd Avenue and NW Flanders.
The first victim called police, and as he was talking with officers about the attack, Siefke and Sanchez-Villavicencio returned to the scene, where they were both arrested and booked in Multnomah County Jail.
Siefke was charged with third degree assault and second degree intimidation. Sanchez-Villavicencio was charged with third degree assault. They have both since been released.
Smith said he was taken to OHSU where he was thoroughly checked out with a CAT scan. He said he has scrapes, bruises, cuts, and is now back in home in Newport recovering.
Portland Police continue their investigation into this bias crime. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jeff Sharp at 503-823-9773.
