Man charged in Portland deadly vehicle rampage

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The man accused of going on a deadly vehicular rampage in Portland, Ore., in which he allegedly struck multiple people over 15 blocks has been charged, authorities said. 

Paul Rivas faces 14 felony charges, including second-degree murder, six counts of second-degree assault, six counts of failure to perform the duties of a driver after causing injuries and one count of failure to perform the duties of a driver resulting in a death. One person struck during the incident was a woman in her 70s who died.

Paul Rivas, 64, is charged with multiple felonies in connection to a deadly vehicle rampage in Portland. (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office )

Rivas pleaded not guilty Wednesday, the Oregonian reported. Authorities said Rivas struck Portland resident Jean Gerich on Monday and made a U-turn and ran her down again. Gerich died a short time later from her injuries. 

The 77-year-old Gerich was a cancer survivor and was happy to be outside after having received her first COVID-19 vaccination last week, according to a statement from her family. 

Rivas claimed his Honda Element was having brake problems and that he was searching from an auto repair shop when he was spotted driving erratically, according to court documents. He admitted to hitting a cyclist but only as an "emergency maneuver, the newspaper reported. 

Witnesses told the police he appeared to intentionally run down pedestrians and bicyclists. Aside from Gerich, five other people were taken to hospitals with non-critical injuries. After the rampage, Rivas eventually crashed the car and fled on foot, police said. 

Jean Gerich, 77, died after being struck by a driver during a rampage that spanned multiple blocks, police said. (Portland Police Bureau)

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Rivas was held by community members until officers arrived. He told officials he was diagnosed with depression and anxiety while serving in the Secret Service. Court records said he never worked for the agency. 

Rivas has previous convictions for voyeurism and traffic-related offenses. His driver's license was suspended following a 2013 conviction for failure to obey traffic signals and failure to provide proof of compliance. It was reinstated in 2014. 

His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 4