Plainfield man charged with hate crime after incident involving nine-year-old in Naperville
A Plainfield man has been charged with a hate crime for allegedly yelling a racial slur at a nine-year-old boy, pushing him, and throwing his bike, according to an announcement by DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres on June 15. Jeffrey Feigenbaum, 29, appeared in First Appearance Court on Sunday facing two counts of hate crime (Class 4 felony), one count of misdemeanor battery, and one count of disorderly conduct. The court denied the state’s motion to detain Feigenbaum pre-trial; he was released from custody under conditions that include GPS monitoring, staying at least five thousand feet away from the victim and related locations, and surrendering all firearms or dangerous weapons to the Naperville Police Department.
According to authorities, Naperville police responded on June 13 to a disturbance in the area of 1400 W. Jefferson Avenue involving a white adult male who had pushed a black juvenile and used a racial slur. Investigators allege that the victim and friends were building a fort when it was damaged by Feigenbaum’s girlfriend’s daughter. The victim reportedly went to her residence to knock on the door; Feigenbaum then allegedly exited the residence, yelled a racial slur at the boy, pushed him, and threw his bike as he ran away.
“The allegations against Mr. Feigenbaum are very disturbing,” Berlin said. “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.”
Arres said, “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... I am grateful for the outstanding work of our officers and investigators who responded to this incident... I also appreciate DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin... for its partnership... holding individuals accountable for hate-motivated criminal conduct.”
Feigenbaum is scheduled for his next court appearance on July 13 before Judge Daniel Guerin.
Members of the public are reminded that these are only charges; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
The average student-to-teacher ratio in DuPage County was 13-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year with over 142,000 students enrolled across county schools, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. The same source reports that teacher absenteeism stood at 38.3% countywide during that period compared with an Illinois average of 35.6%. Among local schools: York Community High School had the highest white student enrollment (1,844), Metea Valley High School led among multiracial students (162), Westmore Elementary School recorded the highest Pacific Islander enrollment (10), while Addison Trail High School had the most Hispanic students enrolled (1,259).