A Latino man accused of dragging a Black woman off a Seattle metro bus and trying to stab her allegedly mentioned Rosa Parks before the unprovoked attack. According to KING 5, 23-year-old Adan Hernandez-Mayoral pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault and committing a hate crime in the attempted stabbing of a 43-year-old woman on Monday (March 25).
King County prosecutors allege Hernandez-Mayoral hurled the N-word and racial insults at the woman while on a metro bus in Kent. Court records obtained by The Seattle Times claim the 23-year-old also made comments about Rosa Parks and told the Black victim to sit at the back of the bus. The woman also told police she heard him spitting on her from behind.
After enduring the harassment for 10 minutes, the Black woman walked to the front of the bus and asked the driver to call 911. Hernandez-Mayoral allegedly followed after her and "forcefully" grabbed the victim by the throat and pulled her off the stopped bus, documents read. The suspect then punched the Black woman before attempting to stab her multiple times with a pocketknife, prosecutors said. According to police, the victim's bulky jacket protected her from serious injuries.
A deputy prosecuting attorney called the racist attack "completely unprovoked," per the Times. Reporters also revealed Hernandez-Mayoral was previously convicted of domestic violence assault, domestic violence harassment, and second-degree robbery.
“I am infuriated by the blatant hateful racially motivated attack on the victim,” Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla said in a statement following the attack. “I want to say this in the strongest way that I can, hate crimes will not be tolerated. If you commit a hate crime in our city, KPD will be relentless in our pursuit of bringing you to justice.
A judge set Hernandez-Mayoral's bail at $250,000. He's due back in court on April 8, and his trial is set to begin on May 20.
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