A 77-year-old man was stabbed and robbed inside a Safeway restroom in Southeast Portland on New Year’s Day, and officers arrested a 51-year-old suspect less than two hours later after tracking him through the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood, authorities said.
Police said the attack happened late Thursday morning at the Safeway along Southeast 122nd Avenue, a busy commercial corridor in East Portland. The man suffered serious knife wounds and was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Investigators booked Christopher E. Woods of Portland into the Multnomah County Detention Center on suspicion of first-degree assault and first-degree robbery. Detectives with the Major Crimes Unit are leading the case, which remained in the early evidence-gathering stage over the weekend. Officials said there was no immediate indication the suspect and victim knew each other, and they are still confirming what was taken during the robbery.
Officers were dispatched around 10 a.m. Jan. 1 to the store’s 3500 block of Southeast 122nd Avenue after reports of a stabbing in a restroom. They found the victim conscious and bleeding and called for paramedics. The man was transported by ambulance; his injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening. Patrol officers began canvassing the area as witness tips and transit security updates came in. “This was a rapid, coordinated response that moved from the store to nearby streets within minutes,” Police Bureau officials said. By 11:40 a.m., search teams detained a man near Southeast 119th Avenue and Division Street, roughly a mile from the store, and took him into custody without further incident, police said.
Authorities identified the suspect as Christopher E. Woods, 51, of Portland. Jail records show Woods was booked on counts of first-degree assault and first-degree robbery and held for Major Crimes detectives. Police said the victim’s name is being withheld while he recovers. Investigators did not immediately release the type of knife used, how many times the man was wounded, or whether a weapon was recovered. The store’s operations were limited while officers collected evidence from the restroom and nearby aisles. No other injuries were reported, and police emphasized that the incident appeared isolated to the store and time period of the attack.
The Safeway sits in the Powellhurst-Gilbert area, where Southeast 122nd Avenue meets several TriMet bus lines and strip-mall entrances that funnel steady foot traffic. The corridor features wide parking lots and multiple camera angles from storefronts and transit platforms. Police credited information relayed by TriMet security with helping narrow the search corridor. Shoppers who arrived after the initial call described a cluster of patrol cars and crime-scene tape while employees directed customers around a blocked-off section near the back of the store. A clerk said the floor “went quiet” as officers moved through the aisles and technicians photographed the restroom area.
Records indicate Woods previously faced an unlawful use of a weapon case in 2017. Police did not say whether that history played a role in probable cause or charging decisions in the current investigation. Detectives are reviewing store surveillance video, canvassing for neighborhood footage and gathering statements from witnesses and employees. Officials have not announced a motive. They are also working to determine what, if anything, was taken from the victim and to map the suspect’s movements between the store and the arrest location using transit and private cameras.
Under Oregon procedure, first-degree assault and first-degree robbery are Measure 11 offenses that carry mandatory minimum prison terms if convictions are secured. After booking, cases typically move to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office for charging review, followed by an initial appearance in Circuit Court. Police said they expected to forward reports to prosecutors after interviews and evidence logs are completed. If charges are filed, a judge would set conditions of release and schedule next hearings, which could include a preliminary appearance and future trial dates. The Bureau said additional updates will be released as detectives complete lab submissions and video reviews.
Neighbors along Southeast 119th Avenue described seeing officers drive slowly past apartment complexes and small businesses just before lunchtime on New Year’s Day. One resident said police briefly blocked a side street and then walked a man to a patrol car. Outside the Safeway, customers waited in vehicles as employees guided shoppers through alternate entrances. A TriMet supervisor stationed near Division Street said teams monitored buses and platforms and relayed sightings to police in real time. “Everyone did what they could to help officers close the distance quickly,” the supervisor said.
As of Sunday afternoon, the victim remained hospitalized in stable condition, and Woods was in county custody while the case awaited prosecutorial review. Police said the next milestone is an initial court appearance early this week and the release of any additional investigative details, including a confirmed list of property taken and whether a weapon was recovered.
Author note: Last updated January 4, 2026.