A Wisconsin man has been charged with a hate crime after prosecutors say he made a threatening and derogatory comment on social media toward a Lake County LGBTQ+ organization.
The Round Lake Beach Police Department was made aware on June 3 of a threatening comment left on a Facebook post published by the LGBTQ+ Center of Lake County.
The organization’s post was promoting its upcoming Lake County Pride Fest that was scheduled for June 14 at the Round Lake Beach Cultural and Civic Center.
The Facebook comment, left by a user with the screen name “William Ramlow,” included hateful, derogatory language and slurs while advocating for violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community, prosecutors said.
Police officers investigated the case and tracked the IP address of the user to an address in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
Officers were able to make contact with the suspect, William Ramlow, 38, of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, on June 4, prosecutors said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved one count of hate crime, a Class 4 felony, and an arrest warrant was issued.
“There is no place for hate in our communities. I want to personally thank the Elkhorn Police Department, the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office for their cooperation and dedication throughout this investigation. The collective efforts of our agencies reflect a strong commitment to justice, safety, and accountability,” Round Lake Beach Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez said.
Ramlow was taken into custody on June 13 by the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office.
He waived extradition to Illinois and was transferred to Lake County. He appeared in First Appearance Court on Thursday.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a detention petition for Ramlow and a detention hearing is scheduled for Friday afternoon.
“Everyone deserves to be safe and to feel safe. Hate is on the rise in this country – but our office will never hesitate to hold those accountable who make direct threats or who engage in actions that harm others,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
“Our office proudly stands with the LGBTQ+ community and its leaders in making Lake County safer and better. I want to thank the outstanding investigators with the Round Lake Beach Police Department who found this offender and brought us the case,” Rinehart said.