A Diamond Bar man was sentenced on Monday, May 6, to one year in federal prison for disrupting a “Stop Asian Hate” protest in Diamond Bar three years ago when he ran a red light, drove through a crosswalk with demonstrators in it and yelled racial slurs.

Steve Lee Dominguez, 57, took a plea deal three days into his trial last year and pleaded guilty to one felony count of bias-motivated interference with federally protected activities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The March 21, 2021, rally was to raise awareness about the increase in hate crimes and hate events against the Asian American Pacific Islander community, including the killing of six Asian American women five days earlier in Atlanta.

People carrying signs and flags gathered peacefully and were crossing the street in the crosswalk, federal officials said.

Dominguez, driving a black Honda sedan, stopped when he approached Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand Avenue and shouted profanities and racial slurs including, “Go back to China!” at the demonstrators, according to his plea agreement.

He ran the red light, drove through the crosswalk, made an illegal U-turn into oncoming traffic, and cut off the route of several demonstrators including a 9-year-old girl, court records show.

They had to quickly move to avoid getting hit by the car. No injuries were reported.

Dominguez stopped, got out and continued to yell racial slurs and threats.

“The horrible event that happened on that day in Diamond Bar had a profound effect on me mentally and emotionally — this was the first time that I experienced so much racial hatred from someone,” one of the victims, an Asian woman wrote in her victim-impact statement to the court.

“I could never imagine how much rage a person would have built up inside of them to feel it was OK for them to use their vehicle as a weapon and try to run people and children over — his actions show that he has no concern or respect for human life,” she said. “I’ve always felt Los Angeles was a city of diversity as people from different ethnicities, religions, and genders live together; I never would have imagined my safety would have been in danger due to my race.”

Dominguez targeted the rally and demonstrators because of their actual and perceived race, color and national origin, federal officials said, adding he also acted because the victims were using sidewalks and crosswalks for their rally and he wanted them to stop.