3 charged with hate crime outside St. Charles bar
Authorities have arrested three people and charged them with aggravated battery, mob action and a hate crime after a confrontation at a St. Charles bar escalated into a fight Jan. 6, with the trio yelling anti-gay slurs as they punched and kicked two men, according to police and court records.
Police said the trio, all from St. Charles, are: Stephan C. Bolt, 31, of the 4N0-99 block of East Mary Lane; Christopher M. Miner, 30, of the 100 block of North 15th Street; and Susan V. Patton, 31, of the 6N200 block of Woodland Road.
They are charged with felony aggravated battery in a public place, mob action, a hate crime and misdemeanor battery, according to court records. The most serious charge of aggravated battery, if found guilty, is punishable by three to seven years in prison, but probation, fines and community service also are options.
According to police, the fight occurred shortly before 1:45 a.m. Jan. 6 in the 2000 block of Lincoln Highway (Route 38). Witnesses and victims told police that after a bar closed, the victims were standing in the parking lot waiting for a cab when a woman threw a drink into the face of a 26-year-old female victim.
The woman and her two male friends walked away, but a gray Mazda pulled up and police said Patton got out and went after the woman again. Police said two men stepped in front of her and then Miner and Bolt got out of the car, punching and kicking the men while taunting them because they were gay.
St. Charles Police spokesman Paul McCurtain said the two male victims had bumps, bruises and abrasions but did not require hospitalization. One of the victims called police and Patton, Miner and Bolt all drove off.
Arrest warrants were issued for the three Jan. 21.
Miner and Bolt were arrested Friday and Patton Saturday, police said.
Bolt and Patton are free on $3,000 bond and are due in court Feb. 15. Miner was being held at the Kane County jail on $30,000 bail and is due in court Feb. 6.
According to court records, Bolt has previous arrests in Kane County for underage drinking, DUI arrests in 1998, 1999 and 2001, and spent time in prison for a felony conviction of a 2003 offense of driving while license revoked.
Miner has arrests for transportation of open alcohol, underage drinking, and spent 120 days in jail after a felony forgery conviction after a 2005 arrest in St. Charles, records show. He also has a 2007 misdemeanor theft conviction and a 2008 DUI arrest, records show.
Patton’s only prior infractions in Kane County are speeding tickets, records show.