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From left: Kady Grass was brutally attacked at a McDonald's (left). Her accused attacker, John Z. Kammrad, faces five felonies, including a hate-crime charge.
The attack left Kady Grass with multiple injuries and PTSD. Here's how you can help donate to her medical expenses and recovery.
Police in Illinois have filed additional hate-crime charges against two teens they say brutally attacked a lesbian at a McDonald’s because of her perceived sexual identity.
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John Z. Kammrad, 19, has been charged with five total felonies for the attack on Kady Grass that took place in Carpentersville on May 13. He faces three charges of aggravated battery (great bodily harm), class 3 felonies, and one count each of mob action and hate crime, class 4 felonies.
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A 16-year-old male, whose name was not released, also faces hate crime, mob action, and aggravated battery charges.
“Like all cases we handle, my office filed these charges following a thorough investigation and an unbiased review of the facts,” Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser said in a press release posted to social media. “These allegations are serious and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 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.”
Grass, who lives in Wisconsin, was visiting the McDonald’s restaurant in Carpentersville with her 13-year-old cousin following the younger girl’s choir concert May 13. Two teens she didn’t recognize allegedly harassed her because of her perceived sexual orientation as she entered the restroom and followed her when she exited.
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While she said she told her cousin to “look forward, don’t say anything” and ignore the pair, Green admitted telling the pair she was a lesbian while flicking her wrist at them. The two teens, she said, immediately attacked her, and she quickly went to the floor, where she was pummeled and lost consciousness. The assault took place in front of multiple witnesses and was recorded on surveillance video.
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Following an investigation, Kammrad and the unidentified youth were quickly identified as suspects. The juvenile turned himself in to the police on May 16. Kammrad was taken into custody on May 17.
The attack left Grass with a fractured nose and a hemorrhage in her eye. She is also suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from the ordeal and its aftermath.
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“I went to McDonald’s in Carpentersville, and I was just trying to use the bathroom when I was called a faggot and brutally attacked by a group of men, all because I date women instead of men,” Grass said on her GoFundMe page. “I need help with medical bills or money for a lawyer to put this group of people behind bars.”
Grass has raised nearly $73,000, far surpassing her goal of $5,000.
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Kammrad remains in custody awaiting trial. His next court date is scheduled for June 17.
