A 23-year-old man was arrested last week on suspicion of stabbing a downtown Portland restaurant owner who asked him to pay for his meal, records show.
Moses Trujillo-Rodriguez is accused of felony assault and unlawful use of a weapon in the Sept. 29 incident. He’s being held in the Multnomah County Inverness Jail on $255,000 bail.
Mazen Khoury, owner of Habibi Restaurant on Southwest Morrison Street, told police that Trujillo-Rodriguez became irate when asked if he was ready to pay for his food, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Trujillo-Rodriguez demanded to borrow a cellphone to use Apple Pay and stated he would not pay for the food, according to Khoury, who then asked him to leave and walked toward the door.
Trujillo-Rodriguez then stabbed Khoury in the back, slashed his arm and ran out the door, the affidavit says.
Khoury and restaurant employees followed Trujillo-Rodriguez, who is also referenced in records by the surname Trullio, until police showed up and took Trujillo-Rodriguez into custody.
Trujillo-Rodriguez confirmed to a detective that he knew he couldn’t pay for the food he ordered and that he stabbed the restaurant owner in the back, according to the affidavit.
Khoury was taken to a hospital for treatment.
— Jim Ryan
[email protected]; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
