Former County Health Worker Sexually Abused Young Boy: Police

PORTLAND, OR — A former Multnomah County Health Department employee was arrested in San Diego earlier this month and extradited back to Oregon to face allegations of sex abuse against a boy, who at the time of the alleged abuse, was under 14 years old.

Sandy Sancrito Ortiz, 64, is being held at the Multnomah County Jail on $500,000 bail. He is charged with two counts of felony first-degree sex abuse.

According to court documents obtained by Patch, Ortiz was in his late 40s and working for the Multnomah County Health Department when in the summer of 2000 he allegedly began abusing a young boy, who Ortiz reportedly met at the county's Northeast Health Center, 5329 N.E. Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard. The abuse, documents allege, continued through the summer of 2001.

Now in his early 20s, the alleged victim came forward to report the year-long abuse in May 2018, prompting an investigation.

By August investigators believed they'd uncovered enough evidence to hold a Grand Jury, which ultimately decided the case could go forward. A warrant was issued for Ortiz's arrest on Aug. 7.

About a month earlier, Ortiz reportedly became aware of the investigation and his pending arrest so he went first to Mexico and then to California to visit family. While in San Diego, Ortiz was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on Aug. 11 and later sent back to Oregon to face the charges against him.

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The Multnomah County Health Department on Friday released a statement acknowledging the investigation. The statement clarified what the department knows and made clear its ongoing cooperation.

According to county officials, the Health Department was made aware of the investigation on June 28. Ortiz was then placed on administrative leave July 2. On July 16 Ortiz voluntarily resigned.

"Multnomah County is providing (Ortiz's) work history so people can contact Portland Police if they have information about him at the following locations. The County is cooperating fully with law enforcement," the county statement said. "Ortiz worked at the N.E. Health Center … prior to 2007. He worked at the N.E. Health Center as a front desk clerk from 1994 to 1999, and then in the medical record chart room until 2007. He was transferred to the McCoy Building in 2007 when the chartroom was centralized."

Detectives reportedly believe the abuse took place at Ortiz's apartment at 2708 N.E. Sandy Blvd., and they also believe there may be more victims.

Anyone with information that could assist this investigation is asked to call Detective Aaron Cole at 503-823-0871, or email Aaron.Cole@portlandoregon.gov.

Image via Portland Police Bureau