SEATTLE, WA – Kalvinn Garcia, a 26-year-old resident of Sedro Woolley, Washington, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for committing a hate crime involving arson at Queer/Bar, a nightclub in Seattle.
Garcia pleaded guilty to setting fire to a dumpster in the alley behind the nightclub on February 24, 2020. Arrested minutes after the incident, Garcia admitted to targeting Queer/Bar because of a sign that angered him. He expressed his disdain for the LGBTQI+ community to law enforcement and later revealed to a stranger that his intent was to trap and harm the occupants of the nightclub. Garcia acknowledged that he sought to cause bodily harm based on the sexual orientation or gender identity of the venue’s patrons.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke commented on the case, emphasizing that bias-motivated violence contravenes federal civil rights laws and American values. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour at the sentencing hearing stated that hate is hate, whether influenced by mental health or not.