On the evening of Monday, March 14, 2022, Portland Police Bureau officers were dispatched on a welfare check in the 5300 Block of Northeast 33rd Avenue. They were asked to check on two individuals slumped over in a running vehicle in the middle of a parking lot. The caller said that they knocked on the windows of the car, but could get no response. They could see that a female passenger was breathing, but couldn’t see movement from the male in the driver’s seat. When an officer approached the car and looked inside, he saw evidence of illegal drugs and indications the driver may need medical attention for a possible overdose. The officer was about to call for medics when the driver woke up, put the vehicle in reverse, and appeared to intentionally ram the officer’s patrol car. The driver drove forward, reversed again, and struck the officer’s car a second time. Another responding officer quickly made contact with the vehicle, pinning it to a tree. The driver jumped out and fled on foot.
An area resident had just left their home and was about to drive away when the suspect noticed them and attempted a carjacking. The suspect tried to pull the resident out of their vehicle but was unsuccessful because they had their seatbelt on. The resident was able to escape the suspect without being harmed or having their vehicle taken. After this unsuccessful carjacking, the suspect ran into the neighborhood. As officers were trying to locate the subject, they heard a commotion and were met by someone who said a man had just broke into their house. Officers saw additional signs that the subject was inside the house and called in additional resources, to include two specially trained K9s. After an extensive search of the house, officers located the suspect in the attic on the third floor and he was safely taken into custody.
35-year-old Nathan Joseph Cutfinger was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on the following charges: Burglary in the First Degree; Robbery in the Third Degree; Reckless Endangering (2 counts); Interfering with a Peace Officer; and Harassment.
Courtesy of PPB
