A man in Illinois is facing hate crime charges after he allegedly vandalized a Chicago-area bakery that was going to hold a child-friendly drag show.
Joseph Collins, 24, is facing two felony counts of hate crime and criminal damage to property for allegedly vandalizing the UpRising Bakery and Cafe after midnight Saturday, according to a report.
The cafe was set to be the location of a child-friendly drag show that was causing many in the area to file complaints, the report noted.
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The alleged vandalism occurred around 12:04 a.m., according to the Lake in the Hills Police Department.
The Owner of Uprising Cafe and Bakery in Lake In The Hills says she is cancelling their planned drag show today after someone vandalized their business overnight. They’ve been receiving threats and harassment for weeks. She sent us these photos of the damage: @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/4ZEoSJSOPv
— Marissa Perlman (@MPerlmanNews) July 23, 2022
Officers received a call of “in progress damage to property and the suspect had fled on foot,” police said.
“An Algonquin police sergeant had seen the suspect leave the scene and was instrumental in this incident,” according to police.
The suspect was arrested and identified as Collins.
Collins is accused of causing “significant damage,” authorities said.
“Officers found broken windows along with hateful messages spray-painted on the building,” according to police. “Due to this act, the event planned for this evening, has been canceled per the wishes of the bakery owner.”
Collins is accused of smashing windows and spray-painting “Groomers,” “F**s rape kids,” and “Christ is king.”
“The safety and Constitutional rights of everyone are always the Lake in the Hills Police Department’s priority,” police said.
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“The Police Department is disheartened this happened in our Village, remain steadfast in our commitment to public safety and have zero tolerance to crimes against all members of our community.”
