HILLSBORO, Ore. (KOIN) – Alexander Ortiz, accused of the aggravated murder of a Portland man in February, took a plea deal Friday and admitted guilt in 2 separate rape cases in Washington County.
Ortiz, 33, was the suspect in a rape on Feb. 14, 2017 in Hillsboro. He was indicted 2 weeks later for rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, assault and strangulation.
In the first rape case, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than 8 years in prison. For the second case, he admitted to rape and sodomy and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Because the terms will run consecutively, Ortiz will spend more than 33 years in prison, plus 20 years of post-release supervision.
District Attorney Allison Brown told KOIN 6 News that both rape victims support this plea deal that takes Ortiz off the streets.
“They’re concerned for their own safety but also for the safety of others, so seeing him locked up for 33 years will assure everyone stays safe,” she said. “It has been gut-wrenching for the victims, very hard. This has been hanging over their heads for a year and the assaults were traumatizing so this brings them closure moving forward.”
The DA said the courage of the second victim to come forward immediately “gave the first victim the courage to come forward.”
That second victim made an impact statement about how being raped affected her and her loved ones. Brown read it in court:
“The defendant put our entire family in danger, living in fear of what he could do again. I have had to live with low self-esteem, stressed, depressed and embarrassed. I wish I had died in the moment instead of living with all the flashbacks.”
The murder case
On March 2, a grand jury in Multnomah County indicted Ortiz on 22 counts: aggravated murder for the death of Eleazar “Tony” Herrera Villegas, plus aggravated animal abuse, burglary, 1st- and 2nd-degree robbery, coercion, commercial sexual solicitation, sex abuse and another rape.
The 59-year-old Villegas and a dog named Max were both found dead February 27 at the Terrace at Columbia Knoll Apartments.
Ortiz is expected in Multnomah County Circuit Court on December 18 as part of an ongoing plea negotiation.
KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this case.KOIN 6 News reporter Brent Weisberg contributed to this report.