The Consul General of Japan in Oregon, Yoshioka Yuzo, became the victim of an unprovoked attack in Portland, leading authorities to investigate the incident as a hate crime.
According to court documents recently released, the 62-year-old diplomat was walking near Southwest Park Avenue and Oak Street on June 17 when he was suddenly assaulted.
“The poor guy just went down,” eyewitness R.D. Lipscomb said. “It looked pretty bad.”
The attack left Yoshioka Yuzo with a head injury, and he was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Police officers who arrived at the scene found him bleeding profusely from a wound at the back of his head.
The consul general made it clear that the attack was entirely unprovoked, raising concerns about the motive behind the assault.
The alleged perpetrator, identified as 23-year-old Arissa Robinson, was found hiding inside the US Bancorp Tower shortly after the incident.
Arissa, who is homeless, was arrested and booked into the county jail on charges of assault and bias crime. As of Thursday, she remained in custody without bail.
The attack on Yoshioka Yuzo was not an isolated incident. Court records indicate that it is part of a broader pattern of violence committed by Robinson against individuals of Asian descent.
In August 2022, she was arrested for allegedly assaulting a 76-year-old Asian man by punching him in the head multiple times and putting him in a chokehold, making it difficult for him to seek help.
Another incident involving Robinson occurred a year before, where she reportedly attacked a mother and child in Portland’s China Town, kicking over a baby stroller with a 1-year-old child inside. During her arrest, she reportedly stated that she intentionally did it because they were in her way.
However, the charges related to these incidents were dropped at various points, raising questions about the handling of her cases.
In January, the strangulation and harassment charges stemming from the 2022 incident were dismissed after a judge ruled Robinson unfit to stand trial. Her attorney argued that she should not be sent to a state mental hospital because she did not pose public safety concerns.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office eventually refiled the charges related to the August 2022 assault following Robinson’s recent arrest.
The pattern of violent behavior targeting individuals of Asian descent raises concerns about the safety and well-being of the community.
