A King County judge sentenced Demarcus Pate to 77 months in prison on Friday after he pled guilty to charges stemming from a series of home invasion burglaries that targeted Asian households in the Seattle area last year.
Pate, 30, faced multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree, two counts of first-degree burglary, and a hate crime charge. His sentencing follows a guilty plea on March 31 in connection with burglaries that occurred in 2023. The case was brought by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
“These crimes were not just about theft—they were about targeting specific communities with hatred and fear,” said King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion. “This sentence holds the defendant accountable for his actions, and it sends a clear message that hate crimes will not be tolerated in King County.”
The case comes amid growing concerns about hate crimes in Washington state, particularly those targeting Asian communities. According to statistics from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, 2023 saw the highest number of anti-Asian hate crimes on record in the county, with 14 cases referred and charged—more than any previous year since such data was tracked.
King County officials are also pushing for legislative changes to improve the prosecution of hate crimes in the state. Manion has been vocal in advocating for HB 1052, a bill currently awaiting action from Gov. Ferguson. If signed into law, the bill would make it easier to prosecute hate crimes by allowing charges when bias is a motivation “in whole or in part,” clarifying language in Washington’s current hate crime statute.
Meanwhile, investigations into additional defendants involved in the 2023 Seattle area burglaries are ongoing.