Baseball Bat Attack: Neighbor Accused of Hate Crime

A disturbing incident occurred in Burien on July 11 when a woman was attacked with a baseball bat by her neighbor. The victim reported that the neighbor, identified as Andy Dimitrov, began yelling from his home and subsequently attacked her with the bat after she asked him to be quiet.

The home security footage shows Dimitrov approaching the victim and striking her with a baseball bat. Dimitrov then fled the scene with his father, discarding the bat, which damaged a parked car. He reportedly made multiple 911 calls admitting to the assault and making threats.

Deputies later arrested Dimitrov at a sports bar, where he allegedly assaulted another woman. The victim stated Dimitrov used anti-gay slurs prior to the attack and wishes for a hate crime charge to be filed. While a King County deputy believed the incident met hate crime criteria, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office stated there was insufficient evidence for such charges at this time.

Dimitrov's father denied that his son's actions were motivated by the victim's sexual orientation, attributing the incident to his son's mental health issues. Andy Dimitrov is currently charged with third-degree assault and third-degree harassment and is undergoing a mental evaluation. The victim's family has initiated a GoFundMe to cover legal fees, medical expenses, and home security improvements.