King County Prosecutors last week charged an Auburn man with a hate crime for allegedly threatening to kill members of a mosque as the congregation held a service in its parking lot in Bellevue on Jan. 6.

Police arrested 36-year-old Kamal Farah Samater in the parking lot of the Islamic Center of the Eastside that afternoon and jailed him in lieu of $250,000 bail. Prosecutors last week charged Samater with malicious harassment, a hate crime, and with felony harassment for having made what they claim was a threat against the life of the first man he met in the parking lot.

According to charging papers, at about 1 p.m., while members were preparing and serving food for the service, Samater approached a congregant who recognized him from a previous encounter.

In charging papers, the alleged victim is quoted as saying that as Samater stood in front of him, he (Samater) said, “I am going to assassinate you guys one by one.”

Another witness told police that when Samater approached him and asked for money, and he declined, Samater said, “I am here to sweep … I am leaving no Muslim behind,” and, “If you are a Muslim, I’m sorry, but there is no place for you in America.”

After Samater’s arrest, according to court records, he told police that when people refused to give him money, all he said to them was “the hell gates have opened on you.”

He also confirmed to police that he identifies as Muslim.

According to Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michael Hogan’s request for bail, Salmater’s criminal history includes harassment 2007, four convictions in 2016 for criminal trespassing first degree, criminal trespassing 2 in 2016, possession of drug paraphernalia in 2016, and obstructing in 2016.