Man charged with rape in Yakima Park in 2023

YAKIMA, Wash. – A 19-year-old man has been charged with raping a woman at the Yakima Area Arboretum in December 2023, court documents show.

Mark Lee Tongate is charged with first-degree rape and harassment, as well as failure to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, a woman walked from Camp Hope to the Yakima Area Arboretum after dark on December 29, 2023. She sat down in the park and was reportedly approached by Tongate, who raped her and allegedly threatened to kill her if she told anyone what had happened.

The woman later reported the rape to a police officer at the hospital and described Tongate. DNA analysis by the Washington State Patrol later confirmed that Tongate was the suspect.

According to an affidavit, Tongate was previously required to register as a sex offender for life and register his address within three days of his release from prison.

Tongate was convicted of child rape in Chelan County Juvenile Court in February 2020. He had been convicted twice previously of failing to register as a sex offender, once for a felony and once for a misdemeanor.

The affidavit states that Tongate did not provide his residence to the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office until February 4, 2024.

Tongate is currently in custody on $200,000 bail for the rape and molestation charges. Bail is set at an additional $5,000 for failure to register.

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