Illinois Man Charged With Hate Crimes Against 9-Year-Old In Neighborhood

An Illinois man is facing hate crime charges for allegedly yelling a racial slur at a 9-year-old boy before pushing him and throwing his bike, authorities said.

The Naperville Police Department said officers responded on June 13 to a reported disturbance in the area of 1400 W. Jefferson Avenue involving a white adult man pushing a Black juvenile and “calling him the N-word.”

The investigation revealed the victim, a 9-year-old boy, and his friends were building a fort down the street, when a girl, identified as the suspect’s girlfriend’s daughter, allegedly damaged the fort. The victim then went to the girl’s residence and knocked on the door.

At that point, 29-year-old Jeffrey Feigenbaum allegedly exited the residence, shouted the racial slur at the boy, pushed him, then threw the boy’s bike as the child ran away.

“Every person in our community has the right to live free from intimidation, violence, and hate. Conduct involving threats, physical aggression, and racial slurs directed at a child is completely unacceptable and stands in direct opposition to the values we expect and uphold in Naperville,” said Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres. “I am grateful for the outstanding work of our officers and investigators who responded to this incident and ensured a thorough investigation was conducted. I also appreciate DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his office for its partnership and commitment to holding individuals accountable for hate-motivated criminal conduct.”

Feigenbaum made his first court appearance on Sunday, June 14, and was charged with two felony counts of hate crime, one misdemeanor count of battery and one count of disorderly conduct. He was released from custody with conditions including GPS monitoring; an order to stay at least 5,000 feet away from the victim, his home and his school; and an order to surrender all firearms, ammunition and other dangerous weapons to Naperville Police.

Feigenbaum’s next court appearance was scheduled for July 13.

“The allegations against Mr. Feigenbaum are very disturbing,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin. “Hate crimes have no place in a civilized society. DuPage County is comprised of dozens of extremely welcoming and diverse communities and the type of behavior alleged in this case will not be tolerated. I thank the Naperville Police Department for their help in securing charges against Mr. Feigenbaum. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Denis Cahill and Kevin Kosman for their efforts in securing charges against this defendant.”