Published January 05, 2017 | FoxNews.com
Hate crime and aggravated battery charges were filed against four African American suspects who police say bound, gagged and tortured a mentally challenged white male while shouting racial and anti-Donald Trump slurs, Fox News confirmed.
The two male and two female suspects -- Jordan Hill, 18, Tesfaye Cooper, 18, Brittany Covington, 18, and Tanishia Covington, 24 -- were set to appear in Central Bond Court on Friday afternoon.
Police became aware on Tuesday of the heinous video footage, FOX32 reported. In the clip, which allegedly was posted to one of the suspect's Facebook feeds, an 18-year-old mentally disabled man was restrained and beaten. Later that day, authorities encountered the disoriented victim walking down a street wearing only shorts despite the cold weather.
"It makes you wonder what would make individuals treat somebody like that,” Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said during a Wednesday news conference. "I've been a cop for 28 years and I've seen things that you shouldn't see. It still amazes me how you still see things that you just shouldn't."
"I'm not going to say it shocked me, but it was sickening."
Police believe the incident began when the victim, who lives in Crystal Lake, met the group in Streamwood, a neighboring suburb. They then drove to Chicago in a stolen vehicle, FOX32 reported.
The victim was kept tied up with his mouth taped shut in an apartment on the city's west side. The video showed him cowering in a corner while someone yelled "F--- white people!" and "F--- Donald Trump!" At one point in the video, the victim was held at knifepoint and told to curse the president-elect.
The victim was a classmate of one of the suspects, investigators said, adding that he was held in the apartment for at least 24 hours, possibly as long as 48 hours.
The video showed the man being kicked and hit repeatedly, while his scalp was cut. The group apparently forced him to drink water from a toilet.
The suspects could be heard saying they wanted the video to go viral.
They now face a bevy of charges.
Hill was charged with aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, robbery, residential burglary; Cooper was charged with aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and residential burglary; Brittany Covington was charged with aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and residential burglary; Tanishia Covington was charged with aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.