A self-proclaimed white supremacist with a history of threats and harassment pleaded guilty Tuesday to malicious harassment, the state's hate-crime statute, and second-degree assault after he threatened a Muslim woman and her baby with a knife.

Eric Lee Garner walked up to the woman on July 1 while she was at the Seattle Indian Health Board, pointed at her head scarf and said, "you Muslim people scare people when you wear things like that!" He followed up with other derogatory remarks, according to court charging papers.

The woman, who was holding her 6-month-old son, tried to reason with Garner by telling him that "her clothing does not make her a bad person," court documents said. When the insults didn't stop, prosecutors said, the woman backed away from Garner and tried to shield her son from him.

Garner then cursed at the woman, got in her face and pulled out a large sheathed knife, court papers said. Garner told the woman he was going to "cut" her and her baby with the knife, charging documents said.

A health-board employee then grabbed the knife and retreated behind the counter, prosecutors said. Garner allegedly jumped over the counter, grabbed the knife and ran out.

Garner was arrested the following day.

Garner faces up to 17 months in prison when he is sentenced on April 9, said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecutor's Office.