An Auburn man who admitted to a federal hate-crime charge for a brutal attack on a King County Metro bus is set to learn his fate Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Prosecutors say the March 7, 2024 assault in Kent left a Black woman with deep, long-lasting bruises after the defendant shoved, beat and tried to stab her. The hearing follows a federal plea entered in December 2025 that shifted the case into the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The attack
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, Adan C. Hernandez-Mayoral started hurling racial slurs on the bus, ordering the woman to move to the back and calling her "Rosa Parks." When she walked to the front to call 911, prosecutors say he followed, shoved her off the vehicle and repeatedly punched and kicked her, then pulled a knife and stabbed toward her multiple times. Her heavy coat kept the blade from puncturing her skin. Kent police found Hernandez-Mayoral hiding under a car near the scene, and court filings say the attack left the victim with deep, long-lasting bruises.
Prosecutors seek 4½ years
Federal prosecutors want the court to hand down a 54-month prison sentence and three years of supervised release, according to FOX 13 Seattle. Their sentencing memo says Hernandez-Mayoral has a history of violent offenses, including prior convictions for domestic assault and robbery, and alleges that two months before the bus attack he threatened another rider and stole a backpack. The government argues that the mix of racial motive, use of a dangerous weapon and the defendant’s criminal record calls for a substantial federal sentence.
Why the feds charged it
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division handled the criminal case alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a move prosecutors say reflects both the racially motivated nature of the attack and the involvement of a weapon. A December press release noted that the government agreed to recommend no more than 57 months, to be served at the same time as any state sentences, but also stressed that Judge James L. Robart does not have to follow that recommendation. Federal hate-crime convictions can carry up to 10 years in prison. The case was investigated by the Kent Police Department and the FBI, signaling a multi-agency response to transit violence reported by the Department of Justice.
What to expect at sentencing
Hernandez-Mayoral’s hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning, when the judge will weigh the government’s recommendation, any arguments from the defense and potential victim-impact statements before announcing a final sentence. Local reporting says the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office first charged him under state law and then worked closely with federal authorities before the case moved into federal court. After Judge Robart issues a sentence, the defendant could also face additional state penalties depending on how any concurrent-sentence arrangements are handled, per the Kent Reporter.
