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A family visiting Portland says a chaotic confrontation erupted Saturday evening after a naked man allegedly grabbed their 7-year-old daughter and lifted her off the ground during a struggle with the child’s mother. Police and witnesses say the child was freed after the parents and nearby bystanders intervened, and officers later arrested the suspect in the Willamette River.
According to the Portland Police Bureau, the man arrested is Daniel C. Vasey. He faces multiple charges, including first- and second-degree attempted kidnapping, first-degree custodial interference, third-degree assault and harassment. Authorities say the incident began on the south waterfront near Southwest Naito Parkway and unfolded quickly as emergency calls streamed in.
How events unfolded
Dispatch logs show the first reports at about 6:51 p.m., when callers described a man running through the area unclothed. Within minutes another person called to say the man had attempted to strike someone. A third emergency call at 7:03 p.m. told dispatchers the man had grabbed a child and was pulling her away from her mother.
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Police say the mother held onto the girl’s free arm and a physical struggle followed that briefly lifted the child off the pavement. The girl’s father, the mother and several bystanders rushed in, striking and pulling at the suspect until he released the child. One bystander used pepper spray to subdue him, according to the bureau.
- Time and place: Saturday evening, near Southwest Naito Parkway, Portland.
- Victim: a 7-year-old girl visiting Portland with her family; treated at the scene for scratches and not hospitalized.
- Suspect: Daniel C. Vasey; reported to have been unclothed during the incident.
- Arrest: Officers found Vasey naked in the Willamette River and took him into custody.
- Charges: attempted kidnapping (first and second degree), custodial interference (first degree), third-degree assault and harassment.
A witness who called 911 described hearing the girl scream and saw the mother fighting to free her. “That must have been really scary for that little girl,” the witness told local reporters.
Portland police say Central Precinct officers were tied up on other calls — including a weapons disturbance — when the third call arrived, so North Precinct units were dispatched. Officers arrived quickly and located Vasey in the river; by that point, witnesses had already intervened and restrained him.
Aftermath and context
Paramedics checked the child at the scene; police report only minor scratches and no need for hospital admission. The family was visiting from out of state, the bureau said.
Local coverage noted that bystanders continued to confront Vasey until officers arrived, applying physical force and pepper spray to prevent further harm. A review of public court records, reported by a local newspaper, did not show prior criminal convictions for Vasey.
The case highlights two immediate concerns for Portland residents and visitors: the dangers posed by public disturbances and the strain such incidents place on emergency resources. Police were handling multiple high-priority calls when this incident occurred, a detail the bureau cited while describing its response.
Investigators have not released information about Vasey’s motive or whether mental health or substance use played a role. The Portland Police Bureau is continuing its investigation and the Multnomah County District Attorney will decide on prosecution following the arrest.
Anyone with information or video of the incident has been urged by police to come forward as authorities piece together the full sequence of events.
