Timothy Schmidt is alleged to have raped a woman inside a Sikh Temple after members allowed him entry to use their restroom.
Timothy Schmidt is alleged to have raped a woman inside a Sikh Temple after members allowed him entry to use their restroom.
PORTLAND, Or. (Diya TV) — Police have arrested a Portland man after a young woman said he allegedly tried to rape her inside a Sikh temple in Gresham after she finished praying.
The woman told Gresham police she first saw Timothy Schmidt in the temple’s lobby smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer, a probable cause affidavit said.
When she told the 36-year-old Schmidt he wasn’t allowed to do that and asked him to leave, he grabbed her by the arm and said he “wanted to play with her,” the affidavit said. Schmidt pulled off the woman’s hooded sweatshirt, told her he wanted to have sex with her, grabbed her breast and tried to kiss her, it added.
As the woman struggled, she managed to get out her phone and call 911. When Schmidt saw this, he pointed a knife at the woman and told her not to call police “or I’ll kill you,” according to court documents.
A male member of the temple had just concluded his prayers and saw the attack taking place, he approached them and asked Schmidt to leave. That was when Schmidt then pointed his knife at the man and lunged at him, police said. The two then struggled over the knife, and the man was able to take the blade away from him, the affidavit said.
Schmidt later told police he had been drinking, got lost and was dropped off near the temple by a stranger. He said he entered the temple to use its bathroom and saw the woman. Schmidt was given entry to the temple by other members that were there, police said. He denied touching her and claimed the man at one point stood over him and prevented him from leaving.
Schmidt is accused of attempted first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree burglary, unlawful use of a weapon and attempted second-degree assault.
Hate crime charges are not being considered because there was no indication from Schmidt or any of the witnesses that the woman was attacked because of her race or religion, Gresham police detective Adam Baker said.
