Portland, Oregon – A suspect with a troubling history of violence has been arrested again after allegedly committing murder on the Eastbank Esplanade. Abel Nistor is facing second-degree murder charges in connection to an incident near the Hawthorne Bridge, authorities reported.
Nistor’s defense attorney invoked his right to remain silent and to have legal counsel present during key stages of the legal process. According to court records, in 2015, Nistor pleaded guilty to killing his family dog in a particularly cruel manner, using both a knife and a hammer. He was quoted as saying, “I killed the dog in the cruelest way possible and I kind of liked it.”
After serving six months for the animal cruelty offense, Nistor was later involved in a separate incident where he broke into his family’s residence and physically assaulted his father. Following this incident, his brother intervened by using bear spray to subdue Nistor, who believed his father was possessed by demons.
Despite being sentenced to under a year in prison for the assault on his father, Nistor was released early in November 2023. However, he now faces new legal challenges as the latest suspect in a series of violent attacks along the waterfront, including the beating of an elderly man near the Steel Bridge and a fatal stabbing. The community remains on edge as law enforcement investigates these incidents.