Auburn man pleads guilty to hate crime, knife attack on Black bus rider

A 24-year-old man from Auburn pleaded guilty Tuesday to a hate crime and knife attack on a Black Metro bus passenger.

On March 7, 2024, Adan C. Hernandez-Mayoral made derogatory comments about Black people while riding a King County Metro bus, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.

A Black woman riding the bus looked to see who was making the negative comments, and Hernandez-Mayoral began to yell at her not to look at him, and continued to make comments toward her.

One of the comments referred to the woman as “Rosa Parks,” and he commanded her to move to the back of the bus. When the woman walked to the front of the bus to call the police, Hernandez-Mayoral followed her.

Auburn man pushes woman off bus, tries to stab her

Once the bus came to a stop, Hernandez-Mayoral pushed the woman off the bus and assaulted her.

He pulled out a knife and thrust it into the woman’s abdomen several times before fleeing the scene. The DOJ noted that the woman was fortunate to be wearing a thick coat, which prevented the knife from reaching her skin. Although the knife did not penetrate her skin, she still suffered injuries.

The Kent Police Department searched for the suspect until a neighbor reported that a man was hiding in their yard. The clothing of the man matched that of the suspect shown on the Metro bus surveillance footage.

Ultimately, Hernandez-Mayoral was arrested hiding under a car, a short distance away from where the assault occurred.

Prosecutors agreed to recommend no more than 57 months to be served concurrently with any sentence imposed in the King County Superior and District court cases.

The DOJ mentioned that Judge James L. Robart is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.

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