A 27-year-old homeless man who stabbed a Northeast Portland resident 17 times in the face, head, neck and torso after the resident asked him not to camp in the neighborhood has been sentenced to treatment at the Oregon State Hospital.

Todd William Schneider could be under the supervision of state mental health officials at the state psychiatric hospital or while living in the community for up to 20 years. He said he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, according to court papers.

The stabbing occurred on May 27, 2018, when Kasey Lebechuck, 65, saw Schneider setting up camp in a field near Northeast 122nd Avenue and Siskiyou Street within blocks of Lebechuck’s home, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Schneider responded to the request by saying he needed to grab his cellphone from his duffel bag, the affidavit said. Instead, Schneider grabbed a large hunting knife and started attacking Lebechuck, stabbing him first in the forehead between the eyes, authorities said.

Lebechuck told police he thought the knife must have slid into one of his eyes because he could no longer see out of it. Schneider also punctured Lebechuck's lung and sliced all the way through his cheek, chipping one of Lebechuck’s teeth, the affidavit said.

Police found Lebechuck collapsed in the doorway of a nearby home where he stumbled for help, and the people inside the home saw him through their doorbell camera. Blood covered him “from head to toe,” the affidavit said.

Todd William Schneider, now 27, has been sentenced to up to 20 years under the supervision of the state Psychiatric Security Review Board. (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office)

Schneider told a psychologist who interviewed him after his arrest that he thought people were following him on foot, that they’d sic their dogs on him and they’d try to run him off the road when he drove around in his car. He acknowledged that some of his perceptions could be shaped by his schizophrenia.

“Random people would come up to me and start fights, make me answer questions,” Schneider is quoted saying in a psychologist’s report.

He said he dropped out of Reynolds High School in 11th grade but later earned his GED and last worked three years ago. He had been homeless for about that long, he said.

After his arrest, Schneider was held for months at the Oregon State Hospital while mental health professionals evaluated and treated him to determine if he could become mentally fit enough to participate in his criminal defense.

On March 30, Multnomah County Circuit Judge Christopher Ramras found Schneider guilty except for insanity on the charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. The judge sentenced Schneider to up to 20 years under the supervision of the state Psychiatric Security Review Board.

Schneider, who was still being held in Multnomah County’s jail system because of a freeze in accepting some patients at the state hospital, is expected to be transferred there in the near future.

It’s unclear how much time he will spend at the hospital. That depends on whether his mental health improves. He could spend all or part of 20 years at the hospital or at a psychiatric group home. He also at some point during that time could be released into the community.

“Remarkably, even after being stabbed that many times by Todd Schneider, the victim used his strength to get help from neighbors who called 911,” Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Todd Jackson said in a news release Monday. Jackson prosecuted the case.

“Today, because of the immediate efforts of the police officers, paramedics, firefighters, nurses and doctors, the victim is largely physically recovered," Jackson continued. "However, the emotional trauma inflicted because of this attack has forever changed the victim.”

-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee