Canby Assault: 36-Year-Old Accused of Hammer Attack, Kidnapping

Vince Chavez, 36, allegedly struck a 12-year-old girl with a hammer and abducted her 10-year-old stepsister from an apartment in Canby. Law enforcement identified Chavez as the suspect in the incident that occurred just before 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28. He now faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault.

The victim's maternal grandmother, who spoke to reporters without revealing her identity to protect the family, provided new context on the relationship between the suspect and the girls' mother. She stated that her daughter met Chavez and his daughter through the dating website Cupid several months prior. The pair dated for approximately two weeks before the mother ended the relationship due to concerns about his motives. The grandmother noted that Chavez had expressed interest in the 10-year-old, which prompted the mother to cut off contact.

According to the grandmother, the children were asleep in the living room while their mother slept in a bedroom with a fan running. She woke to the sound of a man in the living room. When she emerged, she saw blood and her 12-year-old granddaughter unconscious. The mother then realized the 10-year-old was missing and saw Chavez carrying her toward a white van parked outside the unit. The mother, who was home during the incident, called 911 immediately after the abduction.

Police conducted a search that lasted about 13 hours. Investigators located the 10-year-old in Oregon City, where Chavez was renting a room. They found the girl in a closet, duct-taped inside a duffel bag. Officers arrested Chavez at that location. The grandmother said the family learned of the rescue shortly after, calling the news the best they could hope for at that moment.

The 10-year-old is currently staying with her father. The grandmother stated that both girls will need a long period to feel safe again and expressed the family's desire for Chavez to face the consequences of his actions. She said the family does not want other households to experience the same trauma.

Chavez is scheduled to appear before a judge in Clackamas County on Thursday morning. The court date marks the next procedural step in the case following his arrest and the initial charges filed by investigators.