Hate crime charges brought against man suspected of targeting Asian Americans

SEATTLE — A man suspected in a string of bias crimes against the Asian community has been charged with two counts of a hate crime, according to court documents.

Prosecutors filed charges in King County Superior Court Thursday against David Altomare.

>>Ballard bias crime suspect has history of targeting Asians; mental health history

Prosecutors said on Monday that Altomare had targeted an Asian couple in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood.

“The defendant threatened to kill the leader of China,” said Nathan Frei, King County deputy prosecuting attorney.

Investigators say witnesses also reported that they recognized Altomare as the suspect behind several other bias crimes, which include incidents at a Thai Thani restaurant and Golden Gardens.

Court documents from 2017 also show that Altomare had past run-ins with law enforcement.

Documents say he broke into a gym room at the Villaggio Apartments in Kirkland to “presumably locate and attack ‘North Koreans’” and that Altomare started “throwing the weights through residential windows and at vehicles, and breaking through a glass door and entering a residence.”

That same day, police said he also broke into a Google building on the Kirkland campus, smashing windows, doors, walls, and electronics. Witnesses reported he was “yelling about killing people and about North Koreans.”

Prosecutors in court on Wednesday did not address the 2017 incidents, because the cases had been dismissed. Altomare’s bail was initially set at $50,000 Wednesday but was increased to $100,000 Thursday, according to court documents.

Altomare’s arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on June 11.

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