Man convicted after spitting on officer while claiming to have COVID-19

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    HILLSBORO, Oregon (KPTV) — The Washington County District’s Attorney’s Office announced a man has been convicted of attempted second-degree assault, aggravated harassment and driving under the influence of intoxicants.

On May 11, Miguel Hernandez-Cuesta was sentenced to six months in jail, three years in probation and had his license revoked for life.

According to the sheriff’s office in the early morning hours of July 26, 2020, Hernandez-Cuesta tried to place an order at a drive-thru window at a restaurant in Tualatin. Once the order was placed, he pulled up to the second window and fell asleep at the wheel of his vehicle. A store manager then confronted Hernandez-Cuesta who denied he was under the influence. He then pulled into a parking spot at the restaurant and fell asleep at the wheel a second time.

That’s when several officers responded to the scene and found him asleep. He was partially hanging out the driver’s side door with the vehicle still running. They ordered him to exit the vehicle at which point his vehicle rolled forward and almost hit a police car.

Deputies say Hernandez-Cuesta agreed to step out of the car and participate in field sobriety tests. At the conclusion of the tests, officers placed him under arrest for driving under the influence of intoxicants. He began to cough profusely and told officers he had COVID-19 while the officer was searching him. Officers told him to stop what he was doing. As an officer was checking his pockets, the defendant turned and coughed and spat on her face. He was restrained and taken to the Washington County Jail for processing.

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