Oregon Knife Attacker Snoozed in Kitchen While Gambler Played Dead

• Attacker stabbed victim 15 times over gambling winnings
• Suspect fell asleep in kitchen after brutal assault
• Police found him hiding in building’s garbage room

An Oregon man has been sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison for launching a ferocious knife attack on a gambler before falling asleep in the victim’s kitchen.

Pablo Figueroa, 62, attempted to befriend Jeff Williams after he witnessed him win $2,000 on a video lottery terminal at Montana’s Bar, a tavern in Portland, Ore., last August 17. When that failed, Figueroa followed Williams home, according to prosecutors.

The defendant managed to slip through the property’s security gate before it closed. He then pushed Williams into his apartment as he opened the front door.

Figueroa punched his victim multiple times while demanding the money, according to court documents.

Attacker Takes Nap

Despite Williams’ compliance – he handed his assailant hundreds of dollars – Figueroa took out a knife and began stabbing him. The victim was slashed a total of 15 times across his face, chest, and arms. The attack only stopped when Williams decided to play dead and eventually blacked out.

When he came to, he heard snoring. Williams realized Figueroa was still in his apartment and was taking a nap at the kitchen table. Williams fled the apartment and called the police.

Mr. Figueroa had the money and could have left my apartment, but instead decided to sit at my kitchen table and watch me die,” the victim told the court, as reported by Oregon Live.

When police arrived at the apartment, they found no sign of Figueroa, but the building’s security cameras showed that he had not left the complex. They eventually found him hiding in the garbage room.

He was carrying $624 in cash and had blood stains on his pants. Investigators found the pocketknife he had used in the attack in a cat litter tray.

Plea Deal

Initially charged with offenses including attempted murder, Figueroa pleaded no contest Friday to charges of second-degree assault and first-degree burglary as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Figueroa is a registered sex offender in Arizona with six felony and 13 misdemeanor convictions on his record. The plea deal also resolved a 2022 case involving two stolen cars.

The defendant’s lawyer said his client had been struggling with drug addiction since the 1980s.