A Washington man accused of arson is going through jail time for committing a hate crime after focusing on Queer/Bar, an LGBTQ nightclub in Seattle.
Kalvinn Garcia, 26, pleaded responsible and was sentenced in federal courtroom to serve 4 years in jail, the U.S. Attorney’s Office introduced this week. Garcia admitted he focused Queer/Bar as a result of he was angered after discovering an indication that stated “queer,” finally setting hearth to a dumpster within the alley instantly behind the venue on February twenty fourth, 2020.
The investigation was carried out by the FBI Seattle Field Office and Seattle Police Department. According to courtroom paperwork, Garcia advised police, “I think it’s wrong that we have a bunch of queers in society.”
Garcia, who was arrested minutes after igniting the blaze, advised a stranger weeks later that he meant to “trap and hurt the people inside” Queer/Bar. There have been over 100 individuals contained in the membership on the time of the incident.
“Mr. Garcia endangered the lives of more than 100 people because of his hatred for members of our LGBTQI+ community,” stated Tessa M. Gorman, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington. “We work diligently with our federal, state and local partners to investigate and prosecute acts of hatred against people because of their sexuality or gender identity. This work is a priority because the effect of these hate crimes can linger in communities and traumatize the members of the targeted community for weeks, months or years after.”
Garcia can even be subjected to three years of supervised launch upon the conclusion of his sentence, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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