Latest news with #KCPAO
International Business Times
31-05-2025
- International Business Times
Washington Deputy Accused of Raping a Teen Volunteer Who Joined Police Explorers Program
A King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) deputy has been placed on administrative leave in the wake of accusations of rape and sexual misconduct, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. On May 30, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office (KCPAO) charged former KCSO deputy Ricardo Cueva with sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree and rape in the third degree. Victim was Enrolled as a Volunteer with the Police Explorers Program, Where Cueva was the Program Lead According to court documents, Cueva is accused of repeatedly using his position of authority as a KCSO deputy to "sexually abuse and rape a then teenage volunteer with the Police Explorers program." The alleged rape and sexual misconduct occurred between September of 2017 and September of 2018, according to court documents. "While acting as the Police Explorers group leader, the defendant began the process of gaining [the teenage girl's] trust to ultimately sexually exploit her before she turned 17 with special, individual treatment," Cueva's court documents read. "Once [the teenage girl] turned 17 years old, the age the defendant believed to be the age of consent, the defendant escalated his behavior." Cueva Took the Victim on Ride-Alongs, Would Then Ask Her to Perform Oral Sex Acts Court documents also claim that while Cueva was on duty and in uniform, he would take the teenage girl on ride-alongs in his marked patrol vehicle, where he would ask her to perform oral sex acts. At the time of these incidents, he was the King County Sheriff's Explorer Program Lead at the Burien Police Department, according to court documents. At the time of the alleged incidents, the teenage victim reported directly to Cueva, according to court documents. Cueva Previously Under Investigation for Kissing, Molesting a 10-Year-Old According to court documents, "Deputy Cueva was investigated in a 2014 case in which a close-family friend's 10-year-old daughter accused him of kissing her on the lips and touching her genitals under her clothes. The King County Sheriff's Office investigated this accusation and determined there was no evidence to support the accusation," the documents read. Documents also claim the state has concerns for the victim's safety because Cueva owns over 25 registered firearms and has experience using the weapons as a KCSO deputy. Cueva is currently being held in custody on $150,000 bail, according to the KCPAO. "The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office also asked the Court that, if he were to post bond on that bail amount, the defendant be ordered onto electronic home detention with GPS monitoring, and the victim be notified," wrote the KCPAO. "The Court ordered that and also made an order for the defendant to surrender all firearms after prosecutors' request."
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man sentenced for home burglaries targeting Asian families
A man from Seattle—who prosecutors said terrorized Seattle's Asian community with home invasion robberies—was sentenced last Friday. Prosecutors explained that 28-year-old Demarcus Pate was part of a group that targeted the Asian community, particularly the elderly, during the summer of 2023. In some cases, they followed their victims home. In other cases, they approached victims getting out of their cars in their driveways. Pate was charged with a hate crime and confessed. 'This individual pled guilty to not only unlawful possession of a firearm, and two counts of burglary, but also a hate crime for the intentional targeting of Asian households,' Douglas Wagoner with the King County Prosecutor's Office said. The crime spree happened in the summer of 2023, a particularly troubling year for hate crimes involving the Asian community. They were fearful for their safety and had to take extra steps to protect themselves. 'We saw 114 anti-Asian hate crimes charged by our office, and that was the most of any year we have on record,' Wagoner said. Pate eventually pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 6 and a half years in prison. Prosecutors said that when community safety has been violated, and there is evidence of a crime, charges will follow. 'Home invasions, cases that involve burglary, property crimes, or hate crimes, you're going to see King County prosecutors bring those cases to the courtroom and seek justice,' Wagoner said. There are additional cases against other suspects in this case that are ongoing. Defendants are innocent until proven guilty. King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion is working to bring greater accountability for hate crimes this legislative session with HB 1052, which was approved by the Washington State Legislature and is on Gov. Bob Ferguson's desk pending signature. This legislation would allow prosecutors statewide to charge hate crimes motivated 'in whole or in part' because of the defendant's perception of the victim's 'race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or mental, physical, or sensory disability. "When there is evidence to show that people were victimized by a hate crime – in whole or in part because of a defendant's bias – those perpetrators must be held accountable. Prosecutors need this legal fix to ensure that happens,' King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said. 'I appreciate the leadership of Rep. Cindy Ryu and Sen. Manka Dhingra to hold people accountable when they act out from a place of hate.' From 2018-April 20, 2025, the KCPAO charged 53 anti-Asian hate crimes after referrals from police investigators. The years with the specific number of anti-Asian hate crimes: 2018: 4 2019: 2 2020: 7 2021: 13 2022: 8 2023: 14 2024: 5
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Yahoo
Teens accused of vandalizing Mercer Island Middle School enter court-led diversion program
The two teenagers accused of vandalizing a middle school on Mercer Island in January will enter a court-let diversion program rather than face hate crime charges. The two 16-year-olds wrote antisemitic and racist messages on Islander Middle School on January 1 and were caught by Mercer Island Police in mid-January. 'And I think for a lot of folks it felt like a punch in the gut,' Maxima Patashnik with the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle said. The King County Prosecutors Office told KIRO 7 that based on the evidence of the case, they felt the diversion program would help these teenagers learn from their mistakes. 'The point of what we are doing here is to try to get these 16-year-olds to realize how hurtful the hateful actions were,' Casey McNerthney with KCPAO said. McNerthney says they do not divert teenagers who have committed violent crimes, crimes involving bodily harm or crimes where a weapon was used to threaten people to diversion programs. King County's court diversion program has been around since 1978. According to King County, 192 cases were completed which is estimated at an 80% success rate. To go deeper into the numbers, 131 cases involved male offenders and 61 with female offenders. 'It is not something that is experimental. You know, court diversion has been around for years,' McNerthney said. The KCPAO says they talked with Mercer Island Police, School District, as well as Jewish leaders within King County about their decision not to prosecute for now. Those within the Jewish community like Patashnik say while they understand the move by prosecutors, it still stings some. 'A diversion program doesn't feel good for folks who see hate crimes when they feel a hate crime,' Patashnik said. But Patashnik hopes these teens truly learn by having those conversations with leaders and others within the Jewish community about the ramifications of their actions back in January. 'Accountability is really important and if this option is available to them and if the justice system does create opportunities for education,' Patashnik said. 'And that is going to be really critical. And if that doesn't happen, then there should be other measures of accountability,' she continued. Prosecutors say if the two teenagers do not complete the diversion program, they will bring the case back into court.
