A 29-year-old Illinois man is facing felony hate crime charges after authorities say he directed a racial slur at a 9-year-old Black boy, pushed him, and threw the child’s bicycle during a confrontation in Naperville. Prosecutors identified the suspect as Jeffrey Feigenbaum of Plainfield. According to investigators, the incident began when a group of children were building a fort in their neighborhood and a girl allegedly damaged it. When the boy went to the girl’s home to address the situation, Feigenbaum allegedly came outside, yelled a racial slur at him, pushed him, and threw the child’s bike as he ran away.
DuPage County prosecutors charged Feigenbaum with two counts of hate crime, along with misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct charges. During his initial court appearance, a judge ordered him released under strict conditions, including GPS monitoring, surrendering any firearms or dangerous weapons, and staying at least 5,000 feet away from the child, his home, and his school. His next court date is scheduled for July 13.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin called the allegations “very disturbing,” adding that hate crimes have no place in society. The case has drawn widespread attention online, with many expressing outrage that a dispute involving children allegedly escalated into an incident involving racial harassment and physical aggression toward a young child.
