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A man parked his car at Northwest Second Avenue and Couch Street, and returned to find a stranger inside his vehicle, police and prosecutors said.

(Aimee Green/The Oregonian)

A man parked his car at Northwest Second Avenue and Couch Street about 5 p.m. on Thursday, visited a business across the street, and when he went to return to his car, spotted a strange woman inside it.

Rebecca Armstrong, 26

She was in the driver's seat, and was rifling through the vehicle, according to police and prosecutors.

The owner ran over to his gray Subaru Legacy, and tried to pin the intruder in the vehicle as he called 911 on his cell phone.

The woman attempted to stab the owner with a pair of silver pliers, police said. She tried to poke the pliers through the slightly-cracked driver's door window, and then tried to do the same with a pocket knife.

Portland police who responded found the victim, Evan Ross, leaning next to the driver's door, with his right knee against the door attempting to pin the intruder in.

When police arrived, the woman tried to exit out the passenger side, but an officer was there and took her into custody, according to court reports.

The accused, Rebecca Danielle Armstrong, 26, told police that she's homeless, and is a drug user, mostly addicted to methamphetamine, acid and heroin.

She told a detective she broke into the car and was trying to steal it, court reports said.

Armstrong was arraigned in court Friday afternoon on allegations of first-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, attempted second-degree assault, attempted unauthorized use of a vehicle and unlawful entry into a vehicle.

Armstrong was on probation in Clackamas County stemming from a heroin possession conviction. Armstrong is being held at the Multnomah County Detention Center, and is due back in court June 26.

--Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212; @maxoregonian