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Roselle-area woman accused of aiming pellet gun at teens gets community service

A Roselle-area woman originally charged with three counts each of hate crimes and aggravated assault was sentenced to probation and community service Tuesday after pleading guilty to misdemeanor aggravated assault.

Assistant State's Attorney Enza LaMonica said Karen Komar, 50, of the 25W500 block of Webster Avenue, pointed a realistic-looking air rifle at three teens ages 13 through 15 and shouted a racial slur at them while criticizing two of the three teens for appearing to be an interracial couple.

LaMonica said Komar's boyfriend saw the teens and accused them of taking photos of him before he told Komar and she emerged with the air gun around 8:15 p.m. on June 22, 2015.

"She returned with the air rifle and pointed it at the youths on the sidewalk," LaMonica said. "She pointed it at them and told them to run while (she was) making racial comments."

The teens ran to one of their homes and told their parents, who called police. LaMonica said Komar initially admitted to pointing the gun at the teens but denied using the slur.

Judge John Kinsella said he was "not comfortable with how (the plea deal) played out" but he agreed to it because Komar had no criminal history. He said he hopes she was embarrassed enough to not commit such a "colossally foolish and ignorant" crime again.

In all, Komar was sentenced to two years of probation, 15 days in the Sheriff's Work Alternative Program, 150 hours of community service, a $350 fine and ordered to complete sensitivity training, write a letter of apology to the children and their mothers, and destroy the air rifle.

Kinsella also added a stipulation to Komar's community service, ordering at least 25 hours to be served at "a youth program benefiting young African-American children."

"I want her to work with young black children to learn, firsthand, exactly how hurtful some words can be," Kinsella said. "That word is a reference to slavery and was used to demean them. And you used it in an attempt to demean and humiliate those children, and that's despicable."

Komar's attorney told Kinsella she is moving to Wisconsin in the near future and accommodations will be made for her to complete her sentence there.

Prosecutors: Roselle-area woman shouted racial slurs at teens

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