Accused attacker chews off 78-year-old’s ear at light-rail station, Oregon cops say

A 25-year-old former Georgia man faces charges in a gruesome attack that left a man missing an ear and part of his face, Oregon police reported.

Koryn Kraemer of Portland initially told officers his name was “El Baker,” a Gresham Police Department news release said.

Police responding to mistaken initial reports of a stabbing at a MAX light-rail station in Gresham at 2:17 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, found Kraemer on top of a 78-year-old man whom he is accused of attacking, the release said.

Kraemer had chewed off the Hillsboro man’s ear and part of his face, exposing his skull, police said. They arrested Kraemer on a charge of assault.

Police did not provide information on the injured man’s medical condition. They are investigating whether illicit drugs played a role in the violent attack.

TriMet, which operates the MAX light-rail system, said in a statement to KATU that trains were not running at the time of the attack and it was unclear whether the people at the station were passengers.

Gresham is a city of 113,000 people about 15 miles east of Portland.

This story was originally published January 4, 2023 at 10:13 AM with the headline "Accused attacker chews off 78-year-old’s ear at light-rail station, Oregon cops say."