Woman Verbally Attacked In Racist Forest Preserve Incident Speaks Out
CHICAGO (CBS) - The man seen in a viral video harassing a woman over her Puerto Rican flag shirt faced a judge Friday.
Timothy Trybus faces felony hate crime charges.
He was released from jail Friday, but is now on home confinement with an electronic monitoring bracelet.
CBS 2 has learned Trybus has had a number of brushes with the law, including serving jail time for domestic battery in 2006.
On Friday, the victim who recorded the infamous video, Mia Irizarry, had plenty to say about the charges against Trybus and the forest preserve officer who ignored her pleas for help.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker has the story.
Mia Irizarry's encounter with an assumingly intoxicated Timothy Trybus at the Cook County Forest Preserve. She was wearing a T-shirt with a Puerto Rican flag and he apparently didn't like it.
"I have never had an encounter with racism to this degree," said Irizarry.
She said the one thing she remembers about Trybus was...
"Hatred. I saw a consuming amount of hatred," said Irizarry.
Trybus is now charged with two felony counts of a hate crime and appeared in court Friday afternoon.
Outside the courthouse, a friend defended him.
"I don't believe he should have ever been charged with this hate crime," said John Bimmerle. "This wasn't hate. It was stupidity."
After finding out Trybus was charged with a hate crime, Irizarry said "it was the efforts of everyone coming together and really saying this is wrong which got the attention."
She believes public pressure may have prompted Cook County Forest Preserve officer Patrick Conner to resign.
He's accused of ignoring Irizarry's pleas for help.
"I'm never going to be able to hear why he did what he did, and that's a little disappointing," said Irizarry. "But I'm glad that I don't have to worry about anyone who looks like me having to come in contact with him."
Despite the encounter, Irizarry said will return to the forest preserve.
Trybus, on the other hand, has been barred from the park.
