Man Smashes 34-Pound Rock Against Stranger's Head Moments After Being Released From Mental Health Hospital

A man allegedly smashed a 34-pound rock against a woman's head just moments after he was released from an emergency mental health crisis center in Northeast Portland, Oregon on Tuesday, Aug. 9.

The accused, 40-year-old Dwayne A. Simpson, was reportedly walking up and down a street in Portland, Oregon before taking interest in a stranger who was on a walk turning her back to him on Tuesday, Aug. 9. Simpson, who was dressed in green scrubs, allegedly walked up to her and while she leaned against a wall and then used a basketball-sized 34-pound boulder to bludgeon the woman in the head, Fox News reported.

The victim, identified as 55-year-old Sonya Gonzales, immediately fell to the ground and hit her head on a concrete barrier after the attack. According to witnesses, Gonzales appeared unconscious, lying motionless for about two minutes after the assault. Simpson had just been released from the Unity Center for Behavioral Health in Northeast Portland, an emergency center for those experiencing mental health crises, moments before the incident.

Following the incident, Portland police responded to the scene and arrested Simpson. Meanwhile, the victim, who had “significant amounts of blood” dripping off her was immediately rushed to an area hospital to receive medical attention, Oregon Live reported.

Authorities also recovered the rock used in the attack. They took the boulder as evidence and determined that it weighed around 34.5 pounds.

An officer who responded to the scene recognized Simpson as having spurred a previous police response on July 24 last month. In the previous incident, officers transported him to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center after 911 callers reported him screaming saying that he was “going to bash a woman’s skull.” However, he was released later that day and the police were unable to locate him a second time.

Simpson, who has been living on the streets of Portland and has a felony record, was charged with first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon.

Meanwhile, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office has asked the court to hold the defendant in custody without bail until a preventative detention hearing later this week in Multnomah County Circuit Court.