Woman pleads not guilty to hate crime charges at Downers Grove restaurant

A woman accused of committing an anti-Palestinian hate crime at a Downers Grove restaurant pleaded not guilty on Monday.

Alexandra Szustakiewicz, 64, of the 1700 block of Boulder Drive in Darien, was arraigned on six felony counts of hate crime, according to court records.

When she was arrested on Nov. 18, Szustakiewicz was charged with two hate crime counts and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

The felony charges accuse Szustakiewicz of saying “(expletive) Palestine” during her encounter with a man and his wife the morning of Nov. 16 at the Panera Bread located at 7361 Lemont Road in Downers Grove. In addition, Szustakiewicz is accused of hitting the man on the head and approaching the woman in a way that made the woman feel threatened.

The disorderly conduct charge accuses her of alarming and disturbing the couple and trying to knock a cellphone out of the woman’s hands. The woman was recording the incident.

The man was wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the word “Palestine” and a watermelon logo, a symbol of support for Palestinians.

Szustakiewicz is charged with a hate crime because she is accused of conduct based on the victim’s nationality or ethnicity.

Szustakiewicz remains free on pretrial release. Her next court date is Feb. 4.