SEATTLE — A Seattle mom is shaken up. She says she was attacked because she's Asian American. A King County man is now facing hate crime charges. It's the 10th hate crime charge to be filed in King County this year.
"He stops his car opens his door and starts screaming 'f' you, you Asian 'b'," said Pamela Cole.
Last Tuesday, Cole and her two kids were stopped at a red light at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Graham Street in south Seattle, when Cole says a man pulled his car into a nearby parking lot and started screaming at her and making statements about her race.
"I was just there and the whole time, I was like, I don't know, it's just me and the kids in the car. I have nothing I'm like, do I run and drive my car through traffic," Cole said.
She was able to get away, but the trauma followed, especially for her 10-year old daughter who was in the car.
"We were just at a rally that weekend. You know, I had just shown her all these videos, I had just showed her, you know, of all these attacks that I was like that could be your grandparents that could be, you know, our aunties and uncles, that could be you know we got to. You have to be strong, you have to say something, and it happens to us," said Cole.
Thanks to pictures taken by Cole and her kids, police were able to locate and the alleged suspect, a 51-year-old man. Court documents say the same man targeted two other Asian Americans, three days after Cole was attacked.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has charged the suspect with three felony hate crimes. The suspect is being held on $75,000 bail.
"There's just so much need right now, and I don't want it to be more," Cole said.
Cole is thankful police made an arrest. She says it's a step in the right direction and hopefully sends a strong message.
"People were like, oh yeah, Seattle's too liberal it won't happen, yeah right, It's here, it's happening. You know, I'm not the first one, I won't be the last one," Cole said.