In a statement, Chicago police explained that she “allegedly committed a hate crime by reason of perceived national origin of the two victims”.
A 64-year-old woman from Chicago was charged with hate crime for assaulting a Palestinian-American couple in a local restaurant.
According to CBS news, the woman, identified as Alexandra Szustakiewicz, “was charged with two felony hate crime counts and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.”
Local media reported that last Saturday, Chicago police responded to a disturbance call at a Panera Bread restaurant.
Police confirmed that Szustakiewicz assaulted and yelled insults at a man for wearing a hoodie with the word ‘Palestine’ on it.
🚨 Violence and Hate Have No Place Here 🚨
A shocking incident unfolded at a @panerabread in @DownersGroveVlg (@chicago), where a woman viciously harassed a Palestinian family for simply wearing clothing bearing Palestinian symbols. The situation escalated when this woman… pic.twitter.com/b3XYzln7CW
— TheMuslimLawyer (@faisalkutty) November 17, 2024
Szustakiewicz was recorded on video while yelling and trying to hit the man’s pregnant wife.
According to CBS, “police said the suspect also attempted to hit a cell phone out of the hands of a woman, who was with the man, when she started videoing the interaction.”
In a statement, Chicago police explained that she “allegedly committed a hate crime by reason of perceived national origin of the two victims”.
The victim, identified as Waseem Zahran, can be seen in the video standing between his wife and Szustakiewicz.
He told CBS that “At first I didn’t know what she said because of her accent, so I smiled at her”.
When the assault began, Zahran’s pregnant wife started recording, in an effort to protect him. In the video,Zahran is seen holding the assaulter’s arms and pushing her back.
🚨 ARRESTED: Alexandra Szustakiewicz, 64, was charged with two counts of hate crime after attacking a couple near Chicago pic.twitter.com/CCX8SsNheq
— Stop Arab Hate (@StopArabHate) November 18, 2024
Szustakiewicz, who left the scene after the incident, was reportedly arrested the next day. She was later granted release but is barred from entering the restaurant.
Police said as part of their investigation they also reviewed video from Panera’s cameras.
In a statement, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said that “this type of behavior and the accompanying prejudice have no place in a civilized society”.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)-Chicago also issued a statement, saying that “This shameful and abusive behavior has to be understood and called out for what it is.”
According to CBS, Szustakiewicz will be back in court on December 16.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
