Chicago-area man used racial slur, pushed child and threw bicycle in Naperville: prosecutors
Jeffrey Feigenbaum | DuPage County State's Attorney's Office
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - A Plainfield man has been charged with a hate crime after authorities said he directed a racial slur at a 9-year-old boy, pushed him and threw his bicycle during a confrontation this weekend in Naperville.
The backstory:
Jeffrey Feigenbaum, 29, was charged with two felony counts of hate crime, along with misdemeanor charges of battery and disorderly conduct.
According to authorities, Naperville police responded Saturday to a disturbance in the 1400 block of West Jefferson Avenue involving reports that a white man had pushed a Black child and called him the N-word.
Prosecutors said the incident began after a group of children built a fort in the neighborhood. A girl later identified as the daughter of Feigenbaum’s girlfriend allegedly damaged the fort. The victim, a 9-year-old boy, then went to a nearby home on West Jefferson Avenue and knocked on the door.
Feigenbaum came outside, yelled the racial slur at the boy, pushed him and threw the child's bicycle as he ran away, according to prosecutors.
What they're saying:
"The allegations against Mr. Feigenbaum are very disturbing," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. "Hate crimes have no place in a civilized society."
As part of his release conditions, Feigenbaum must surrender any guns, ammunition and other dangerous weapons to the Naperville Police Department.
What's next:
His next court appearance is scheduled for July 13.
The Source: The information in this report came from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.