A Galesburg woman is charged with a felony hate crime after police say she repeatedly directed racial slurs and obscenities at a Black neighbor and his family.
Shirley M. Kruger, 61, also faces a charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. The hate crime charge is a Class 4 felony.
According to a police report, an officer responded on May 25 to a dispute between Kruger and residents of a neighboring house on Beecher Avenue.
Police said Kruger repeatedly directed racial slurs and obscenities at the man and his family while they were attempting to hang privacy netting along a fence.
The neighbors told police the behavior had been ongoing for about a month.
Kruger also yelled at responding officers and tore up a citation for disorderly conduct after it was issued.
Police said Kruger continued to shout obscenities and racial slurs as police left the scene.
Prosecutors filed the disorderly conduct and hate crime charges June 16.
A preliminary hearing is set for July 6.
