Man accused of harassing autistic boy faces hate-crime charge

A South Seattle man who was charged three months ago with a hate crime after he threatened to burn down an autistic child's home was charged criminally again Friday.

Mark Levison, 48, was booked into King County Jail on Friday morning and charged with a second count of malicious harassment — the state's hate-crime law — after he allegedly screamed profanities at the autistic child's father Thursday night. Levison's trial on the previous charge is pending.

According to charging documents, Levison came out of his home in the 5500 block of South Leo Street around 11 p.m. Thursday and began "ranting and raving nonstop" at C. Anthony Engen, who lives across the street.

Levison yelled that he didn't want Engen's 13-year-old autistic son "staring at my house," and he challenged Engen to "face me like a man," according to the documents.

Engen told police he feared for his family's safety, especially in light of the previous charge, the documents said.

On the night of July 8, Levison began yelling at Acquinnette Engen as she was sitting on her porch, she said. Engen said she had finished putting her three children to bed when Levison began yelling at her from his yard. She said that Levison apparently was imitating her autistic son and threatened to burn down her home unless they kept him in the backyard.

Engen said that soon after her family moved to the area in mid-June, her son had a run-in with Levison. She said Levison yelled at the boy when he was climbing a tree.

Levison is in jail on $500,000 bail. Arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 16.

He has a prior conviction for breach of peace, court records show. He was previously charged with assault and criminal trespass, and he has been charged with several misdemeanors and felonies in Oregon, records show.

Information previously reported in The Seattle Times is contained

in this report.