Grants Pass, Ore. — U.S. Marshals have a suspect in custody after making an arrest in Tampa, Fla. Police said the man brutally beat a volunteer at the Gospel Rescue Mission in Grants Pass last November. Then he took off.
57 year-old Matthew Cortez is now in the process of being extradited to Josephine County.
“For a long period of time we had no idea where he was so we started working with U.S. Marshals in an attempt to locate him just recently,” Grants Pass Department of Public Safety Lieutenant Dennis Ward said.
Brian Bouteller, mens coordinator at the mission, said this is a day volunteers have been waiting for.
“The bible has a saying, your sins will find you out. You can’t run from it,” he said.
Police said Cortez unlawfully entered the women’s shelter and brutally assaulted a female volunteer. He sprayed pepper spray in her face and her injuries sent her to the hospital.
When Cortez is extradited to Josephine County he faces multiple charges including burglary, assault, criminal mischief, and unlawful use of mace.
Bouteller said even though the victim is still healing she is out of the hospital and back to volunteering.
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