Suspects in stabbing, hate crime arrested in Kent
KENT, Wash. - Two men accused of assaulting and stabbing an African American woman from Kent were arrested by police Thursday evening.
Kent Police said they received a call about a reported stabbing on Central Avenue S. near E. Willis Street around 7:45 p.m.
The victim called 911 saying she had been assaulted near a Metro bus and the suspects ran away.
Upon arrival, officers located a 43-year-old African American woman, who said two men approached her on the bus, called her racist derogatory names and said they did not like "Black people."
The victim told officers one of the suspects grabbed her and pulled her outside the bus, repeatedly punched her, and took out a pocketknife and stabbed her several times.
Luckily, police say the victim was wearing a bulky jacket that protected her from serious injury.
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About 10 minutes later, police received a call from a homeowner who said a man was hiding under her vehicle.
Officers responded to the scene and arrested a 22-year-old man from Maple Valley, who was later identified as the stabbing suspect.
The second suspect, a 22-year-old Auburn resident, was also arrested after approaching officers during his friend's arrest and attempting to interfere.
The Maple Valley man was booked into King County Jail for second-degree assault and hate crime. The other suspect was booked for obstructing.
The stabbing suspect, identified as Adan Hernendez-Mayoral, had his bail set at $250,000.
Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla issued a statement following this hate crime:
"I am infuriated by the blatant hateful racially motivated attack on the victim. Our officers took this call very seriously, conducting a thorough investigation and successfully put the violent offender in jail. Our detectives will now continue the investigation and we will prosecute the offender to the fullest extent of the law. 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."