In Portland, Oregon, authorities are seeking an individual after a reported incident in an alleged biased attack. The incident involved two youngsters in southeastern Portland in December 2023.
The two children, aged 16 and 12, were walking along Southeast Burnside and Southeast 28th Avenue on December 29, 2023, when a man approached them. The mother of the children, Kanika, shared that a homeless man spat on her children, hurled racial slurs at them, and expressed his hatred towards them while she was at work.
In fear, the daughter called Kanika, who immediately left work to find her children. Upon her arrival, the man was waiting at a bus stop. He stood up, sprinted towards them, and hurled a cupful of brown liquid at them. An altercation ensued between Kanika and the man, ending with the man escaping before law enforcement could arrive.
Kanika is determined to hold the culprit accountable for his actions and advocates for better processes to protect the community, particularly the young from such incidents.
Two months post the incident, Kanika’s children are still deeply affected by the incident, struggling to sleep. Kanika expressed her concern over explaining to her children why their skin color could make them targeted in 2024.
The data from the Portland Police Bureau shows that bias crimes or “hate crimes” are on the rise in Portland. According to an analysis made by the Fox 12 Investigates team, there’s been a significant rise in reported bias crimes and incidents in the past few years.
The numbers rose from a mere 12 incidents in 2016 to 128 in 2023, showing a considerable increase. In addition to the crimes, bias incidents have also seen a rise. 163 such incidents were reported in 2023, up from just 11 in 2020.
Anyone with information related to the incident or the identity of the suspect is encouraged to contact [email protected], and reference the case number 23-334800.
