CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. (WLS) — According to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, one of the two individuals involved in the assault of a young woman at a McDonald’s in Carpentersville is now being charged with a hate crime.
John Kammrad, a 19-year-old from Elgin, allegedly directed a derogatory remark at the victim, Kady Grass, in relation to her sexual orientation, prior to physically attacking her.
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Grass says the additional hate crime charge has brought a much-needed sense of relief to her and her family.
“I was fighting really hard for those hate crime charges,” Grass said.
The incident unfolded when Grass and her younger cousin decided to stop at the McDonald’s located at 1660 South Kennedy Drive for a snack on Tuesday, May 13.
Kammrad and a 16-year-old boy, who is also facing charges, walked by, and that’s when the name-calling happened. They exchanged words, and the two suspects walked away.
Before things even got physical, one of them made a threat, Grass said.
“The minor said, ‘We don’t need weapons to kill you,'” Grass said.
But later, police said, Kammrad and the teen boy attacked Grass, punching and kicking her, even as she was on the ground unconscious.
“They attacked me because I like women,” Grass said. “All I did was exist that day. I went to go spend time with my family, and then, I was brutally attacked. There was nothing I did to deserve that.”
They allegedly caused serious injuries to her face, including a broken nose.
“When I went unconscious and came back to it, I could no longer see out of this eye. My head was aching. There were handprint bruises all over,” Grass said.
Kammrad was taken into custody on Saturday, May 17. He is also charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery as well as mob action.
The 16-year-old boy turned himself in to police on Friday, May 16 and faces charges in juvenile court.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said, in part, “Everyone deserves to feel safe in public spaces, and no one should be attacked because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, as is alleged in this case. We must make it clear that Kane County is a community that welcomes all.”
As for Grass’ message to her attackers: Thank you, not for what they did, but for what they’ve inspired her to become.
“They made me realize that life is short, and that I should go after my dreams,” Grass said. “I want to be an inspiration for someone else and people to look up to and they made me want to become that… While they ruined their own lives, they created a new one.”
Grass said the entire attack played out in front of her 13-year-old cousin.
And since the attack, she has received more hateful comments from people saying she deserved this. But that will not stop her from trying to help inspire others to be proud of who they are.
Kammrad’s next court appearance in Kane County is scheduled for June 27 at 9 a.m.
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