Oregon man pleads guilty to deadly stabbing of mother in front of daughter

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Washington County man was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to the fatal stabbing of a mother in front of her daughter in 2019.

Salvador Antonio Martinez-Romero pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree attempted murder, and four counts of first-degree robbery on Aug. 7, according to the county district attorney’s office.

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Authorities say Martinez-Romero had been under the influence of meth on Dec. 18, 2019 when he entered a grocery store in Beaverton’s Murrayhill neighborhood and bought a large chef’s knife.

“He then walked into a bank located in the same shopping center, pulled out the knife, and demanded tellers give him cash,” the DA’s office said.

When Martinez-Romero arrived, officials say Janet Risch was inside withdrawing cash with her adult daughter to give to her grandchildren for Christmas. According to investigators, he then grabbed Risch’s daughter from behind and “slit her throat with his knife.”

After the tellers gave Martinez-Romero the money, he stabbed Janet Risch in the back, police say. Her injured daughter and other witnesses tried to save her, but she died shortly thereafter. The daughter survived with permanent injuries.

According to police, Martinez-Romero fled the scene and stabbed another man in the chest — causing serious injuries — while attempting to steal his car. Investigators say he drove the car to Tigard before abandoning it and flagging down another woman in a car.

“When she stopped her car, the defendant stabbed her in the leg and torso, pulled her from the vehicle, and stole her car,” the DA’s office said.

Police chased Martinez-Romero until he abandoned the car and tried to run away. He was eventually found near a high school campus and taken into custody. Officers on scene say he had “large amounts of cash stuffed down his pants and hidden under a nearby pile of leaves.”

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Martinez-Romero will spend a minimum of 30 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole and another nine years for the remaining convictions.

“The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to send our condolences to Ms. Risch’s family and to thank all of the involved victims for their strength throughout this process,” the DA’s office said in a statement.

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