Prosecutors have determined that a man who killed his former landlord, who was dressed as Michael Myers at the time, will not be indicted because he acted in self-defense.
Police have disclosed that an unidentified tenant fatally stabbed Justin Valdivia, 46, with a sword after the landlord allegedly came into his home dressed as the notorious villain from the Halloween franchise.
In a scene befitting a horror film, Valdivia was allegedly brutally attacked as he not only showed up to the man's property unannounced, but, he also had defensive weapons such as a hammer and a handgun - which was found by police to be a pellet gun.
As reported by Willamette Week, the incident happened on September 15, and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed that the tenant won't face criminal charges as the landlord had weapons on him during the confrontation.
The homeowner lived in a newly-constructed property near the home he owned, which was leased out to four tenants. Before the incident, he reportedly had a deteriorating relationship with the residents, including one man who recently moved out of the home.
According to police reports obtained by Willamette Week, the man alleges that the owner of the homes threatened the tenants with a knife twice before his death.
He had also reportedly tried to break into the home at 4:00AM while intoxicated one morning, forcing one of the tenants to confront him.
The former resident who recently moved from the property eventually stuck around and was staying in the house as a guest at the time of the fatal stabbing.
He had recorded Valdivia's previous irresponsible confrontations and was taking precautions to safeguard himself from the landlord, according to prosecutors.
The outlet reported that the ex-renter kept a sword hidden in the couch and made a makeshift alarm - a painting against a back door and shoebox - that would fall over and create noise if someone was to open his door.
Around 1:00AM on September 15, the former resident heard the shoebox ring and saw Valdivia dressed in the horror movie villain's mask, armed with a hammer and a pellet gun.
The man then retrieved the sword, as there was nowhere to run and escape the homeowner, and then prosecutors said that "a struggle then ensued," between the tenant and landlord.
After, the ex-renter stabbed Valdivia, who then fell to the floor. Another resident in the home called 911 and tried to stop the bleeding with paper towels, however, the homeowner was declared dead after paramedics arrived at the scene.
The weapon near the deceased man's body recovered was later discovered to be a pellet gun painted in black to "resemble a real firearm," the report states.
The memo also reportedly stated that Valdivia was committing burglary while "wielding what appears to be two dangerous and deadly weapons".