HILLSBORO, Oregon — TriMet riders at the Hillsboro Transit Center told KGW that they aren’t surprised that a brutal attack took place at the station, after a man faces numerous charges for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, according to Washington County prosecutors.
"Not really, to be honest," said Tristin Rouse, a frequent Trimet rider. "There is a lot of like crazy stuff — dangerous, crazy horrible stuff that goes on out here."
"It's sad that it happened, and unfortunately, a lot of people would just walk by and think she was probably on drugs or something, and a lot of people neglect to help people like that," Faith Ryan told KGW.
Washington County prosecutors said one of the cameras at the Hillsboro Transit Center caught 29-year-old Eduardo Madrid-Roque sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on station property on June 14, 2023.
Prosecutors said the attack lasted about 30 minutes in length, with Madrid-Roque pausing the assault when people came nearby, before resuming. The 63-year-old woman was passed out at the station for over two-and-a-half-hours; she had been traveling from California to Portland for her grandson’s graduation when she accidentally mixed medication and alcohol on her flight, according to a probable cause statement.
According to a statement KGW received from TriMet on Wednesday, a TriMet worker noticed the woman was in distress and called 911.
"If someone is in trouble, and they need help, they need help. It doesn't matter who they are or what they are doing, you shouldn't let an innocent person get hurt like that," said Ryan.
Prosecutors will attempt to keep Madrid-Roque in jail for the duration of his trial, saying he is a danger to the public. A judge should decide whether he is released from jail when he appears in court on April 24.