### Woman Charged with Hate Crime After Disturbance at Downers Grove Cafe

A woman from Darien is facing serious charges following an incident at a Panera Bread in Downers Grove. Alexandra Szustakiewicz, 64, has been charged with two felony hate crime counts and disorderly conduct after authorities responded to a disturbance at the cafe on Saturday. The altercation took place in the 7300 block of Lemont Road.

According to police, Szustakiewicz confronted a man over a sweatshirt he was wearing, which had the word "Palestine" on it. Witnesses reported that she yelled expletives at him. Additionally, Szustakiewicz allegedly tried to knock a cell phone out of the hands of a woman who started recording the incident.

As a condition of her pre-trial release, Szustakiewicz is prohibited from visiting the Panera Bread location and from contacting the alleged victims involved in the incident.

State's Attorney Robert Berlin commented on the case, stressing the importance of mutual respect among community members. "Every member of society, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other individual characteristic, deserves to be treated with respect and civility," he said. Berlin emphasized that his office is committed to prosecuting such behavior and expressed gratitude for the efforts of the Downers Grove Police Department and Assistant State's Attorneys Sandi Tanoue and Nicholas Covert.