Yakima Police Arrest Man for Hate Crime Threats Against Mormons

Yakima Police have arrested a man on a hate crime charge after they say he threatened two members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or Mormons.

TWO VICTIMS WALKING

According to a court affidavit from the Yakima County Prosecutors Office the two church members were walking in the area of West Pierce Street and South 12th Avenue on August 17 when they told Officers a man driving a red mustang started to follow them around the area threatening the two men. The man then left the area but returned a short time later. The affidavit says the man then drove up and started yelling telling the two men they were "worse than Jews" and that they should be "put to death."

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ROCKS AND A DOG

Police say the man then threw rocks telling the two men to leave the neighborhood. They told police the man even tried to get his dog to attack the men but that didn't happen. Police responded and tried to find the suspect in the neighborhood but he fled before police arrived. However police were able to identify the suspect and the suspect vehicle.

SUSPECT TURNED HIMSELF INTO POLICE

They contacted the 33-year-old man who admitted to threatening the two men. The man turned himself into police and told them he regretted his actions and that he had been drinking before the incident.
He then wrote an apology letter to the two victims who were not injured.
Police say because the man was targeting the two based on their religion he faces two counts of the hate crime offense. He was booked into the Yakima County jail.