A 33-year-old man was sentenced to 50 years in prison Friday in what Multnomah County prosecutors said was a rare case where nothing but the maximum sentence could guarantee community safety.
Zachary Lee Andrews — who previously fought in mixed martial art matches under the name “Cadillac” — was convicted by a jury in January of raping three women who were living in tents on the streets of Portland in 2021 and 2022.
At the hearing, Senior Deputy District Attorney Robin Skarstad called for a 58-year punishment, the maximum allowed under the law, saying she usually tried to find some glimmer of redeemability, even in the worst cases.
But there was only a void here, she said.
“He prayed upon helplessness, habituality, for his own sexual gratification,” Skarstad said. “These aren’t isolated incidents but a pattern, likely involving more victims than we’ll ever know about.”
Skarstad detailed attacks against two other women that weren’t charged, saying that had either lost contact with the woman or weren’t able to gather enough evidence to proceed.
At trial, Andrews was convicted of three counts of first-degree rape, among 13 other charges. During sentencing, he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault in a different domestic violence case and for shoplifting more than $1,000 from local pharmacies.
Andrews — who took the stand at trial and testified that each of the attacks was consensual — changed his story just before Judge Celia Howes announced her sentence, admitting that he had committed “very evil” acts.
“I’m going to ask for as much help as I can, because there’s something wrong with me,” he said. “I pray to God to somehow change me.”
Howes said Andrews’ belated admission of guilt was encouraging, but he must nevertheless be “stripped of any opportunity to reoffend” by the time of his release.
In comments to reporters after the trial, District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said he stood by Skarstad’s proposed sentence but said the 50-year punishment “gets the job done.”
Of the three women attacked by Andrews, one has since died, and the other two did not attend the hearing. Skarstad said they were relieved that Andrews would not be able to hurt anyone else.
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