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Gresham, OR (KPTV) — Portland police and Gresham police are investigating a string of attempted robberies at assisted living facilities.
Huntington Terrace was targeted twice in one day, according to Gresham police.
Officers believe the same suspect, armed with a box-cutter, tried to steal narcotics Tuesday morning and again later that evening. In one of the incidents, police said the suspect cut an employee on the hand and stole a wallet. The employee’s injuries were minor, said police.
Police said staff members at Huntington Terrace were able to chase off the suspect, who then fled in a beige-colored car.
Prestige Care, which owns Huntington Terrace, has been hit with two other attempted robberies over the last nine days.
A woman who lives at Huntington Terrace told FOX 12 she may have seen the suspect Tuesday, as facility employees were chasing him.
The woman didn’t want to be identified for safety reasons but said she didn’t know exactly what happened at the facility, until FOX 12 told her.
She said the news is terrifying and she’s worried the thief might come back. She also said she’s always felt safe at Huntington Terrace, and on Wednesday she noticed that security had been beefed up: doors and windows were locked, and more patrols had been added to the grounds.
Prestige Care sent FOX 12 a statement, saying in part:
‘“The safety and well-being of our residents and staff is our highest priority and we’re committed to ensuring our communities continue to remain safe. We take these incidents seriously, and thankfully, no one has been seriously harmed. Since the attempted thefts, we’ve placed our communities in 24-hour lockdowns, keeping all external doors locked and requiring all visitors to be approved for entry. We’ve also added onsite security personnel, strengthened our surveillance protocols, and provided more training for our frontline staff in how to react in a threatening situation.”
Gresham police said they are investigating the possibility that the case may be related to other similar incidents in Portland.
The suspect who tried to rob Huntington Terrace is described by police as a Black man between the age of 40 to 50 years old. He’s believed to be about 5 feet 11 inches and 190 pounds.
Anyone with information on the case should contact Gresham police.
FOX 12 reached out to Portland police regarding details surrounding other cases of attempted robberies, but did not hear back.
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