Illinois man who wrote 'KKK' on home charged with hate crime

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - A man accused of spray-painting "KKK" on a house in central Illinois is facing a felony hate crime charge.

The (Peoria) Journal Star reports (http://bit.ly/22G4tY8 ) that 57-year-old William R. Cooper of Peoria was also charged Tuesday with criminal damage to property.

Authorities say Cooper and another person damaged a home in Peoria between Dec. 24 and Jan. 24.

Prosecutors say Cooper was motivated by race. He is white and the resident of the targeted home is black.

Cooper has no publicly listed phone number, and online court records do not say whether he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

His arraignment is scheduled for April 14.

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com