A 19-year-old Estacada man has been arrested following an incident in which he allegedly attacked an elderly woman in a grocery store parking lot and attempted to flee the scene in her pickup truck.
The assailant, Rick Douglas Simmons, allegedly caused a disturbance outside the Harvest Market in Estacada at approximately 7:15 p.m. Sunday. According to police, he approached one woman, shoved her and stated that he was suicidal and she should call the police.
Police say he then walked across the parking lot toward a 71-year-old woman and punched her in the face. She fell to the ground and was briefly unconscious. Simmons then entered her vehicle in what appeared to be an attempt to steal it.
Bystanders quickly came to the injured woman’s aid and stopped Simmons from leaving. Police say they moved the victim out of harm’s way and tried to remove the keys from the vehicle. During the struggle, Simmons drove the truck forward, running into a bottle return machine and damaging the vehicle in the process.
Several bystanders were then able to remove Simmons from the truck and hold him down on the ground until deputies arrived. He was arrested without further incident.
Estacada Fire and American Medical Response personnel arrived at the location to render first aid to the injured woman. Police say she suffered bumps and bruises, but was able to leave the scene with family members.
Simmons was bleeding from cuts on his arms that police say happened before the altercation in the parking lot. He later told deputies that he had taken hallucinogenic mushrooms that afternoon.
Simmons was transported to and booked at the Clackamas County Jail on charges of third-degree assault, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, second-degree criminal mischief and reckless endangering. Bail was set at $75,000.
Dash cam video of the aftermath can be seen below:
