Bellevue Man Faces Hate Crime Charge After 'Arabs' Threats

BELLEVUE, WA - A 29-year-old Bellevue man has been charged under the state hate crime statute after allegedly threatening his foreign-born roommates with violence and shouting racially-charged threats like, "Arabs, go back to Egypt!"

Anthony Stromdahl was arrested on March 13 at his job in Seattle by Bellevue police and now faces felony harassment and malicious harassment charges, according to court records.

Bellevue police were called to an apartment building along Southeast 42nd Street in the Factoria area on March 13 on a report of a domestic disturbance. At the scene, Stromdahl told an officer that his boss, the owner of the apartment Stromdahl was living in, was threatening to evict him.

Stromdahl's boss, Mohamed Khayel, told police that Stromdahl had been harassing the other men who lived in the apartment.

According to police and court documents:

In January, Stromdahl allegedly threatened roommate Gerhad Hagras, 49, with a samurai sword. Hagras did not call police because he is in the country on a work visa, and Stromdahl allegedly threatened him with deportation.

During a fight over coffee, Stromdahl allegedly told Hagras, "Motherf---er, Arabs, go back to Egypt." Stromdahl then allegedly pulled out a samurai sword and told Hagras, "I will kill you and your people."

"Hagras was in fear and thought Stromdahl was going to use the sword. Hagras asked if he could help him and offered to make him more coffee.Hagras then left the situation. Hagras was later told by Stromdahl that if he didn’t call the police, he would throw the sword in the garbage. Hagras took the sword and threw it in the garbage," the police report describes.

The responding officer found videos on Facebook of Stromdahl demonstrating his samurai sword abilities.

Stromdahl also allegedly threatened a second roommate, Mohamed Elshrbiny, 30. During one incident, Stromdahl allegedly put Elshrbiny in a chokehold and demanded Elshrbiny give him a ride. Elshrbiny reported the incident to Khayel, who in turn told Stromdahl to stop bothering Elshrbiny.

In response, Stromdahl allegedly began telling his coworkers he was planning to "poison" Elshrbiny by putting sugar in his coffee. Elshrbiny is diabetic.

Stromdahl allegedly told a coworker he was going to stomp Elshrbiny's head while he slept and that, "these people need to go back to their country."

After interviewing several more witnesses on March 13, Bellevue officers met Seattle police at the Bright Horizons daycare along Mercer Street to arrest Stromdahl. When he was taken into custody, Stromdahl denied the allegations against him and said that Hagras had once shoved him violently.

Stromdahl is being held in the King County Jail on $100,000 bail.

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