Hate crime charged in tirade over Puerto Rico shirt

CHICAGO — A man who can be seen in a video chastising a woman at a Chicago forest preserve for wearing a shirt with the Puerto Rican flag on it has been charged with committing a hate crime, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office announced.

Timothy Trybus, 62, of Des Plaines now is charged with two felony counts of committing a hate crime in addition to misdemeanor counts of assault and disorderly conduct he already faced.

In the video posted on social media, a man later identified by authorities as Trybus can be seen berating the woman — Mia Irizarry — on June 14 at Caldwell Woods. When she complains to a Cook County Forest Preserves officer that the man is harassing her and questioning her citizenship, the officer doesn’t respond. Puerto Rican citizens automatically have U.S. citizenship.

The officer was put on desk duty while officials investigated. He resigned this week.

In the wake of the incident, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle offered her apology to Irizarry and took the unusual step of calling Ricardo Rossello, the governor of Puerto Rico. Rossello wanted the officer fired.

In the video, Trybus can be seen approaching Irizarry and pointing at her shirt as he berates her. “You should not be wearing that in the United States of America,” he tells her. At one point, Irizarry turns the camera on herself to show her shirt. She asks the officer for help, saying the man is making her feel uncomfortable. More officers arrived and arrested the man.

Trybus appeared in court Friday. His attorney, David Goldman, characterized his client’s behavior toward Irizarry as “obnoxious,” but attributed it to a combination of alcohol and pain pills after having six teeth removed the day before.