HILLSBORO, Ore- On June 6, 2024, a Washington County jury convicted Jesus Esteban Flores of two counts of Robbery in the First Degree, two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Theft in the Second Degree. Judge Brandon Thompson sentenced the defendant to a total of 109 months in prison and ordered he serve three years of post-prison supervision. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andrew Freeman prosecuted this case.
On September 17, 2023, the defendant entered the Washington Square Mall and committed multiple crimes over a short period of time. The defendant first entered a department store, where he placed a large kitchen knife on the shoe counter and asked for a pair of shoes in his size. After the employee retrieved the shoes, the defendant took them without paying. He then shoplifted a hat from a neighboring store before he briefly stepped outside to put on the stolen shoes.
The defendant reentered the mall and went to a clothing store where he concealed multiple shirts under his clothes. An employee approached Mr. Flores to intervene, but the defendant displayed the knife in his waistband and stepped toward the victim. That employee backed away and watched as the defendant left the store with the blade in hand as he asked this victim if he was “trying to get the knife?”
A security officer responded and followed the defendant from a distance throughout the mall. The defendant noticed this and turned to confront the officer outside a main mall entrance in front of shoppers. He pointed his knife and made verbal threats to kill the officer. The officer backed away, and additional mall security followed at a distance as they alerted law enforcement.
Tigard police officers confronted the defendant as he attempted to leave the area on a bike. They identified themselves and ordered him to drop the knife. After the defendant refused multiple orders, they fired 40mm less lethal foam rounds at the defendant. Officers then seized the knife, returned the merchandise, and took the defendant to jail.
Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton recently launched a new campaign aimed at protecting area businesses from shoplifters. The district attorney's office has created shoplifting warning signs and is distributing these signs to area business owners free of charge. Visit our website to learn more about this effort and to request a sign.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Tigard Police Department and Washington Square Mall security officers in protecting other patrons.
The defendant will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his sentence.