Woman, 52, accused of robbing Billie Eilish fans at knifepoint near Oregon arena
A woman was arrested for allegedly stabbing a man, then threatening and robbing a couple of their sleeping bag near the Moda Center Saturday morning.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Pop star Billie Eilish won't take the stage at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, until Sunday night, but that didn't stop fans from camping outside the venue days in advance, all in the hopes of snatching a good spot for general admission seats.
Among those were Jessica Bailey and some of her family members. The exciting and anticipatory experience quickly took a turn for the worse Saturday morning when Bailey and her mother say they had their belongings stolen at knifepoint by a woman who is now accused of stabbing someone else nearby.
Speaking with Nexstar's KOIN, Bailey explained that a woman, since identified by police as Angelique Butler, approached them and began telling them they had to clear out of the area.
"She had a knife under her shirt. My mom saw it, and (the woman) was kind of taunting us. 'You need to either give me your money or your sleeping bag,'" Bailey recounted. "Another gentleman came up. He was riding his bike. He looked homeless, too. He was just riding his bike down the street, not doing anything wrong. Then, she saw him and started yelling at him."
The bicyclist was trying to get away when Butler allegedly "pulled out her knife and began stabbing at him or near him. We're not sure if she actually stabbed him but she stabbed the tires on his bike," Bailey said.
"Eventually, she told my mom we needed to give her stuff. So my mom gave her our sleeping bag, 'Just take it, go!'"
Bailey's mom called the police, who rushed to the scene and found Butler across the street from the incident with the knife and the sleeping bag. The 52-year-old was arrested for robbery, menacing, unlawful use of a weapon, and disorderly conduct.
All of this unnerved Bailey, who lives in Vancouver, but she's still "stoked" to see Billie Eilish.
"My family, we're still staying here tonight. My mom and dad are staying here tonight, but me and my friend and my sister are going to a hotel tonight to be safe," Bailey said. "It's an interesting experience. It's a lot more than I thought."
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