Eli Himebauch got quite a surprise when he pulled over to report an abandoned Ford Focus as it sat on a Southeast Portland street.

Just then two men crawled out from underneath the stripped car. Apparently they were still at work.

Himebauch locked himself inside his pickup, and refused to budge when one of the men pounded on the window and ordered him out.

Then without warning or explanation, the man pulled out a cordless grinder and chewed away at Himebauch’s 2011 GMC truck, ultimately causing $6,500 in damage.

This week, that man -- 41-year-old Nathaniel George Rosales -- was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 80 hours of community service and 18 months of probation.

Rosales also handed over a $1,000 check -- money that will pay off Himebauch’s insurance deductible. If Rosales hadn't come up with the money, his plea agreement called for a 30-day jail sentence.

At a previous hearing, Rosales pleaded guilty to felony first-degree criminal mischief.

Reached by The Oregonian/OregonLive after Rosales’ sentencing, Himebauch expressed shock that Rosales came through with the $1,000. Himebauch then recounted the rest of the crazy encounter last Feb. 12.

Himebauch, who lived nearby, had passed the abandoned Ford at Southeast Foster Road and Barbara Welch Road a few times.

“It was missing more and more parts by the day,” said Himebauch, 38. “I told the grand jury it was like watching coyotes picking apart a deer carcass.”

So Himebauch decided to jot down the Ford’s vehicle identification number, then report it to authorities.

That’s when Himebauch said he interrupted Rosales and the other man -- and Rosales went on the attack.

It was about 7:30 p.m. Himebauch realized he was stuck in his truck with nowhere to go. With the abandoned car in front of Himebauch and traffic rushing behind him, he couldn’t back out.

So he called 911. As Rosales kept grinding away without seeming to tire, Himebauch decided to act, he said.

“I was in disbelief,” Himebauch said. “And I was mad."

He jumped from his truck and began to chase Rosales, who responded by hopping in his partner’s waiting car and speeding off, Himebauch said.

Himebauch followed.

“At this point, it’s more ‘This guy is going to have to answer for what he did,’” Himebauch said. “I’m following him and I’m on the phone with 911 and all of a sudden, his car stops again.”

Himebauch said Rosales ran toward his truck, this time with a cordless reciprocating saw.

“He says: ‘I’ll kill you. Leave us alone!’” Himebauch recounted.

Himebauch backed his truck up, and his attacker charged again, he said.

“This happens about three times,” Himebauch said. “It was like a game of cat and mouse.”

That’s when the other suspect drove off, leaving Rosales in the middle of the road, Himebauch said. Rosales ran off, climbing over fences and running through backyards near Southeast 136th Avenue and Harold Street, Himebauch said.

Police arrived, tracked him down and arrested him a short while later. Most of Himebauch's story is outlined in court papers filed by the prosecution. Himebauch filled in the rest for the news organization.

At the time, Rosales had no job and had been living on public assistance. He's now working in construction, said his defense attorney.

Rosales had no previous criminal history. He told jailers he had no mental health problems. He also said he hadn’t used methamphetamines in years, but authorities still suspect he struggles with the drug, because of his behavior that night and a small amount of meth they found on him.

As part of Rosales' sentence, he must undergo a drug evaluation and treatment, if it's determined necessary. Because of Rosales’ lack of criminal history, he was booked into jail about 8:30 p.m. on the night of his arrest and released 2 ½ hours later.

Himebauch said he’s been left feeling disappointed in the system’s response to quality-of-life crimes that blemish the city’s reputation. Last year, his wife's car was stolen. Last week, his teenage son's car was, he said.

“I’m just tired of this mentality around Portland,” Himebauch said. “... I’m so fed up.”

-- Aimee Green