DC Man Convicted In Bias-Related Attack On Family Of Chinese Descent

WASHINGTON, DC — Patrick Trebat, 39, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to three counts of simple assault, including one with hate-bias enhancement, for an attack on three people of Chinese descent last summer in Northwest, according to court documents.

On Aug. 7, 2021, a man, a woman and their adult son were speaking in a Chinese dialect around 9:30 p.m., as they were walking near the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest and Fulton Street, Northwest, according to authorities. Trebat approached and then started shouting profanities at them.

When the trio tried to cross the street in the 3700 block of Fulton Street, N.W., Trebat shouted at them, saying, among other things, “You are not American,” and “Go back to your country,” according to court documents. Trebat then ran up and hit the man in the back of the head with enough force to knock him to the ground. He then pushed the woman to the ground from behind. When the son tried to intervene, Trebat punched him in the face, according to authorities.

When D.C. police officers arrived on the scene, the three victims identified Trebat as their attacker. He was then taken into custody.

Following the attack, the older man suffered a broken wrist and experienced pains in the back of his head. The woman experienced pain in her arm and was medically evaluated. The son had a fractured finger. All three victims sustained cuts and bruises.

Judge Michael O’Keefe sentenced Trebat on Thursday to 630 days in jail, suspending 210 days provided he successfully complete three years of supervised probation.