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Published on January 13, 2025
Timothy Paul Fitzgerald Convicted in Beaverton Assault and Kidnapping Case Involving Disabled WomanSource: Washington County District Attorney's Office

A Washington County jury delivered a verdict on January 9, convicting Timothy Paul Fitzgerald on multiple charges, including assault, sodomy, sexual abuse, kidnapping, and unlawful sexual penetration. Deputy District Attorney Alyssa Camp was the prosecutor on this harrowing case wherein the victim, a homeless and physically disabled woman, was preyed upon and brutally assaulted by Fitzgerald after declining his offer of money, as reported by the Washington County District Attorney's Office.

The incident, which occurred on October 13, 2023, saw Fitzgerald attacking the victim with his steel-toed boots, causing severe facial fractures, and the subsequent assault lasted around 40 minutes. The disabled victim, who testified that she could not escape due to her confinement in a wheelchair, was in a more secluded area near downtown Beaverton when the attack was perpetrated. Most of this crime was alarmedly caught on a business's surveillance camera. The assault ended when a street sweeper happened upon the scene, leading Fitzgerald to flee; police apprehended him shortly after at the Beaverton Transit Center.

Upon arrest, Fitzgerald claimed amnesia regarding the incident after his initial interaction with the victim, and he consented to DNA swabs that later confirmed the presence of the victim’s DNA on his body. Although initially charged with a bias crime reflecting the victim's disability, the judge acquitted Fitzgerald of this charge, determining that no reasonable jury could believe he targeted the victim based upon her disability, according to the Washington County District Attorney's Office.

The Washington County District Attorney's Office admired the victim's courage in braving the legal system. It also extends thanks to the Beaverton Police Department and the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory for their contributions to achieving the verdict. Fitzgerald's sentence is now set for March 17, and he will remain in custody until then.