A judge set bond at $500,000 and $350,000 for two men accused of spray-painting racial slurs, swastikas and other hate speech on businesses and a school in Round Lake Beach.
David M. Dolan, 18, of unincorporated Lake Villa, and Anthony P. Shields, 19, of unincorporated Lake Villa, have each been charged with one count of hate crime, a Class 3 felony, and four counts of hate crime, a Class 4 felony.
Shields and Dolan were also charged with criminal defacement of property. Dolan was additionally charged with criminal trespass to property.
The Round Lake Beach Police Department was called around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday to the Walmart Superstore, 2680 North Route 83 in Round Lake Beach.
Round Lake Beach Police Chief Wayne Wilde Jr. said the employees found the doors to the lawn and garden section had been defaced by spray paint.
Investigators determined several businesses in the 2000 block of Route 83 were spray painted with hate speech, including racial slurs and swastikas.
One of those businesses included Consumers Credit Union across from Walmart.
References to Hitler had been spray painted on an outside fence of the bank along with profanity directed at the Round Lake Beach Police Department.
A swastika and a reference to killing were also left on the doors of the bank.
Officers spotted Dolan and Shields riding bicycles near Rollins Road and Hainesville Road, Wilde said.
Officers, who had previous encounters with Dolan, stopped the two men and found them in possession of spray paint.
The spray paint matched the color of the graffiti discovered on several businesses, Wilde said.
Officers obtained verbal admission from the men that they were responsible for spray painting hate speech across the businesses in the area.
“Hate speech like what was displayed Tuesday has no place in Round Lake Beach,” Wilde said. “These offenders will be charged to the fullest extent possible for what they did.”
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved the felony charges.
The two appeared in bond court Tuesday afternoon where Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Dolan held on a $500,000 bond and Shields held on a $350,000 bond.
“The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office will thoroughly investigate and aggressively prosecute acts of hate to the fullest extent of the law. I commend the Round Lake Beach Police for their swift response to these disturbing crimes,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said Friday.
“Hate has no place in our communities. This office will continue to lead not only when it comes to prosecuting these cases but also amplifying the prevention efforts of our partners,” Rinehart said.
Dolan and Shields both remain held in the Lake County Jail. Dolan would need to post $50,000 cash to be released and Shields would need to post $35,000 cash.
Dolan is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday and Shields is scheduled to appear in court again on September 21.