Man sentenced for targeting Asian-owned businesses in Tigard, Tualatin in robbery spree

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. (KPTV) - A 23-year-old man was sentenced to prison last month after being found guilty of targeting Asian-owned businesses in a robbery spree.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office said Jose Manuel Escobar De Loera was found guilty on May 7 of two counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree robbery, two counts of first-degree theft, and second-degree theft. He was sentenced to 135 months in prison.

The district attorney’s office said Escobar De Loera was part of a group that committed armed robberies at Asian-owned massage businesses in Tigard and Tualatin.

Escobar De Loera would gain entry to a business by posing as a customer, then his accomplices would enter with masks and weapons and threaten employees. The suspects would then steal cash and phones.

During a robbery on Dec. 16, 2025, a driver waved down by employees was able to apprehend Escobar De Loera. The district attorney’s office said Escobar De Loera was found holding the business’s security box and was seen getting rid of stolen cash and phones in a creek.

Phone records, surveillance footage, and victim testimony were used to identify Escobar De Loera as one of the suspects.