A D.C. man who police say attacked three members of a family of Chinese descent last summer, yelling “Go back to your country” as he punched and pushed them, has pleaded guilty to reduced assault charges.
Thirty-nine-year-old Patrick Trebat pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of simple assault, including with a hate-bias enhancement, under a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
Simple assault is a misdemeanor. Trebat was originally charged with simple assault as well as two counts of felony assault causing significant bodily injury.
Trebat was sentenced to 21 months in jail but will serve only seven months as long as he successfully completes three years of supervised probation, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to charging documents, the three family members — an older couple in their 60s and their 30-year-old son — were walking in Northwest D.C. on Aug. 7, 2021, and speaking in a Chinese dialect when Trebat approached them and began shouting profanities, including “You are not American,” and “Go back to your country.”
The three tried to cross the street to get away from him, but Trebat ran up and attacked the older man from behind, punching him in the back of the head and pushing him with enough force that he fell to the ground, according to prosecutors.
He also pushed the older woman to the ground, and when the couple’s adult son tried to intervene, Trebat punched him in the face, according to charging documents.
All three victims suffered cuts and bruises in the attack. In addition, the older man had a broken wrist and the son suffered a fractured finger.
