Christina Valera Devitt, 38, of Renton, Wash., was arrested on an outstanding warrant stemming from the alleged assault of a Jewish man during a 2025 confrontation over an Israeli flag at the University of Washington.
Devitt was taken into custody on Feb. 24 following a traffic stop in Federal Way, Wash., according to police records. The Federal Way Police Department officer who made the arrest wrote that he initiated the stop because he believed the driver had a “warrant out of University Place for an amount of bail of $2,500.”
Charging documents filed in King County District Court state the case stems from a Jan. 16, 2025, incident in which Devitt allegedly grabbed at an Israeli flag held by David Herbert Solovy, attempting to take it from him. Prosecutors charged her with fourth-degree assault under Washington state law.
Solovy, who previously served in the Israel Defense Forces, was counterprotesting an anti-Israel rally outside Husky Stadium on the university’s Seattle campus. Video of the encounter shows Devitt approaching Solovy as he holds the flag and attempting to pull it away. She then appears to move toward and shove another individual before campus security personnel intervene.
In the footage, a bystander can be heard saying, “That’s assault,” to which Devitt responds with an expletive-laden remark directed at Solovy and the flag.
Court records indicate Devitt, a frequent participant in anti-Israel demonstrations and a member of Seattle Antifa, has had prior protest-related legal issues. She was charged in 2021 with malicious mischief after allegedly damaging a police precinct and in 2024, in connection with an anti-Israel freeway blockade in Seattle.
