SEATTLE — The U.S. Attorney’s Office says that a 24-year-old man pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime after attacking a bus passenger on a King County Metro bus.
Court records show that Adan C. Hernandez-Mayoral made racist comments about Black people on a Metro bus on March 7, 2024.
When a passenger, a Black woman, looked toward him to see who was making the comments, he began verbally attacking her.
After the victim walked to the front of the bus to call the police, Hernandez-Mayoral pushed her off the bus.
He then pulled out a knife and stabbed her several times in the stomach.
The knife did not penetrate her skin due to the heavy coat she was wearing, but she still sustained injuries.
Police searched for Hernandez-Mayoral and eventually found him hiding under a car not far from where the assault occurred.
Prosecutors requested that he be sentenced to just under five years in prison, with credit for time served.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 17, 2026.