Two unrelated stabbing incidents occurred recently, one in Portland near Lincoln High School and the second in Vancouver at Heritage High School.
On February 17, a disturbance on a TriMet MAX train “spilled into the sidewalk” and escalated into an attack, according to The Oregonian. Just before 10:30 a.m., TriMet Transit Police and Portland Police arrived at the scene, near Southwest 5th Avenue and Southwest Madison Street, and found a 24-year-old man with stab wounds, according to Fox 12. The Oregonian reported that the man’s wounds were not life-threatening, and he was sent and treated at a local hospital. The two suspects, an unidentified 15-year-old and a 22-year-old identified as Jose Alfredo Alvarado-Martinez by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, fled the scene on foot before the officers arrived at the scene, and reached Lincoln High School, where “a student let them in through a secure door,” according to a message released by Portland Public Schools to students and families following the incident.
Both suspects were arrested inside Lincoln High School after the school was placed into a “brief” lockdown, The Oregonian reported. No students were harmed during the incident, and Portland Public Schools denied any affiliation with either suspect. Lincoln High School promised families they would XYZ. Alvarado-Martinez is currently facing multiple charges that include assault, criminal trespass, escape, and interference with public transportation.
Lincoln High School’s incident demonstrates the need for all students in all schools, including Barlow, not to let in strangers through secure doors. Even if people do not initially strike you as suspicious, it’s important to stay safe and prevent any dangerous incidents like these from happening at our school.
On February 17, a 15-year-old girl stabbed another 15-year-old girl multiple times in the bathroom at Heritage High School. According to The Columbian, the victim was on her phone in the school bathroom, and complimented the suspect’s hair as the suspect entered. The suspect, identified as Elena Mercado-Rodriguez, later approached the victim from behind after exiting the stall, asking the victim, “Can I tell you something?” Mercado-Rodriguez then grabbed the victim by the hair and placed a knife against her throat. Fox 12 reported that the suspect was cut “multiple times on her throat, wrist, and eyelid” in an attempt to get away from her attacker. The victim reported that she put her hand up and grabbed the knife to defend herself, which The Columbian reports resulted in “defensive injuries.” The victim further reported that, after she freed herself, Mercado-Rodrigues attempted to stab her in the stomach. Court records showed that the victim was able to take the knife from Mercado-Rodrigeuz, who then fell to the ground, curled herself into a ball, and said: “I’m sorry.”
Court records showed that the victim collapsed outside of the principal’s office, where she went to get help. Deputies arrived shortly before 3 p.m., according to The Columbian, and the victim was treated at the scene and taken to a local hospital. In a search of Mercado-Rodriguez’s bag, deputies found a notebook with what court records showed as “verbiage indicating this to be a premeditated attack,” while all indications also show that the attack was completely unprovoked, according to a deputy’s writing in the court records. Mercado-Rodriguez faces potential attempted first-degree murder charges.
If Heritage High School had more staff monitoring the halls, then this incident could have been prevented or stopped sooner, protecting the victim of the stabbing. Even though these incidents thankfully did not result in any deaths, learning from them and improving from them can help prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
