Two men charged with defacing Israeli flag at grocery store in Northwest Chicago suburb
BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. (CBS) — Two men were charged after allegedly defacing an Israeli flag at a grocery store in Bloomingdale, Illinois, last month, the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office announced on Thursday.
Tabshir Rizvi, 23, of Bloomingdale, and Mohammed Faroun, 22, of Hoffman Estates, were both charged with two counts of hate crime, a misdemeanor charge of criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct.
It was alleged that just before 11:30 p.m. on June 24, both men entered the Woodman's Food Market at 1 Stratford Drive. The men grabbed a can of red spray paint before walking to the international food aisle. They then climbed the shelving unit under the Israeli flag and spray-painted "FREE GAZA" on the flag before leaving the store.
An investigation by the Bloomingdale police identified Rizvi and Faroun as suspects.
The office said Faroun turned himself in on Tuesday, while Rizvi turned himself in late Wednesday afternoon. Both men were released on personal recognizance.
"Hate crimes, such as alleged in this case, not only affect the intended target, but can also have a devastating effect on entire communities," State's Attorney Robert Berlin said. "DuPage County prides itself on being an extremely welcoming community to all, and we will not tolerate any type of behavior based on hatred or prejudice."
Their next court appearance is scheduled for August 13 for arraignment.