An Oregon man arrested last week for allegedly punching a 90-year-old woman in the face was later released -- because the jail was too crowded.
Filbert Mwezi Gacinya, 34, was taken into custody shortly after the unprovoked attack and charged with indecent exposure, public indecency and assault in the fourth degree, FOX12 Oregon reported.
“He was out there dropping his pants, and displaying himself, oh yes, he was an exhibitionist," the victim, who was not identified to protect her safety, told FOX12. "And he was shouting. But I was trying very hard not to pay attention to that and just walk along."
The victim told the station that she can’t remember what happened next.
"I was out cold and when I woke up I was on the curb in the cement and this woman was helping me up and I said, 'What happened, did I fall?' And she said, ‘No, you were punched.'"
The 90-year-old went to the Multnomah County Justice Center to confront her assailant on Friday, but to her surprise he never appeared.
According to the Oregonian, Gacinya and 19 others were allowed to walk out of jail the previous Sunday for “emergency overcrowding.” Records show 162 inmates have been let go for crowding this year, the paper reported.
"Why is a man who bashes a 90-year-old in the face leaving her knocked out on the pavement released?''
The victim’s daughter wrote to the district attorney, asking: "Why is a man who bashes a 90-year-old in the face leaving her knocked out on the pavement released?''
Sheriff’s Sgt. Brandon White acknowledged to the Oregonian that lower-level suspects are released when budget constraints keep more beds from being available.
"Unfortunately, that's the way it is,'' White said.
Gacinya is due back in court Oct. 26.
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