A former co-owner of a Portland private security company is headed to prison after prosecutors said he used excessive force outside a Southeast Portland bar. Jesus Mendez III Ayala pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted assault and received a 27-month prison sentence. Prosecutors say the confrontation, captured on security video, involved pepper spray, a pepper-ball gun and baton strikes.
Recorded Outside El Mojito PDX
Security cameras recorded the December 10, 2022 clash outside El Mojito PDX, 1222 SE Stark Street, according to KPTV. The outlet reports the incident began when a man in a light-colored cowboy hat was denied re-entry to the bar and his cousin tried to intervene. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office provided prosecutors' account of the video to the station.
DA: Pepper Balls And Ordered Strikes
Ayala, 39, was sentenced March 4 to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree attempted assault, according to KOIN. Prosecutors say Ayala pepper-sprayed both men, then shot the cowboy-hatted patron with a pepper-ball gun and, off camera, fired additional rounds before directing another guard to hit him, per the outlet. That guard used a collapsible baton to strike the victim multiple times, including blows to the head. The victim told police his fingers were broken as he tried to shield himself. "This sentence sends a signal that the law applies to everyone," Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Quinn Zemel said, according to KOIN.
Co-Worker Already Pleaded Guilty
The other guard, identified as Steven Alyn Bomgardner, pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted assault on April 5, 2024 and received a two-year prison sentence, KPTV reports. Prosecutors said both men were working for a private security company that night, and Ayala has been described in reporting as a former co-owner. The sentence, prosecutors said, closes a case they characterized as an abuse of the public's trust.
Implications For Nightlife Security
Multnomah County prosecutors framed the outcome as a reminder that private security officers are bound by the same laws as everyone else and are expected to show restraint. The case has put a spotlight on how contracted security is trained and supervised at Portland bars. The DA's statement and the prison terms could spur renewed scrutiny of oversight and training standards for private security in nightlife settings.
