A man found guilty in the 2019 murder of a Beaverton woman at a local bank has been sentenced to almost 40 years in prison.
On Aug. 7, Salvador Antonio Martinez-Romero pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of Janet Risch. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted first-degree murder and four counts of first-degree robbery involving assaults on three other people.
He was sentenced on Aug. 13.
Law enforcement officials said Martinez-Romero, a transient, was under the influence of methamphetamine when he entered a Murrayhill grocery store on Dec. 18, 2019, and purchased a large chef's knife. He then walked to a nearby bank in the same shopping complex, pulled out the knife and demanded cash.
Already inside the bank was Janet Risch who was withdrawing cash, according to police.
“When the defendant did not receive money fast enough, he grabbed the murder victim’s adult daughter, Deb Thompson, from behind and slit her throat with his knife. After tellers handed him the cash, the defendant stabbed Ms. Risch in her … back, causing fatal wounds,” according to a statement from the Washington County District Attorney’s Office.
Despite efforts from both Thompson and the bank tellers, they were unable to save Risch’s life. Thompson survived her wounds but was left permanently injured.
Fleeing the bank, Martinez-Romero confronted a third victim leaving a nearby gym and demanded his car. When the victim resisted, Martinez-Romero stabbed the man in the chest, causing him serious injuries. Martinez-Romero then fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle.
From there, Martinez-Romero drove to a residential area in Tigard and abandoned the by-then-damaged vehicle. Flagging down a fourth victim who stopped, Martinez-Romero stabbed her in the leg and torso, pulled her from the vehicle and stole her car, according to the district attorney’s office.
“Police caught up to the defendant, saw him ditch the second stolen vehicle, and saw him flee on foot. He was located near a high school campus and taken into custody,” said the news release. “Officers found large amounts of cash stuffed down his pants and hidden under a nearby pile of leaves.”
On Aug. 13, Washington County Circuit Judge Brandon Thompson sentenced Martinez-Romero to life in prison with a minimum of 30 years served before parole eligibility on the murder conviction. He was also sentenced to nine additional years in prison on the remaining convictions with the sentences, to be served consecutively.
Editor's note: This corrects a previous version of this story, which featured an incorrect photo of murder victim Janet Risch.
Most Popular
Comments / 0