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player ready...An Elmhurst man has been charged with spray-painting swastikas on several homes and vehicles in Elmhurst on July 9 and on July 12.
Joel Jexie, 25, of the 500 block of Crockett Avenue in Elmhurst, has been charged with three counts of hate crime, a Class 4 felony, and one count of criminal damage to property, a Class 4 felony, according to a release from DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Elmhurst Interim Chief of Police Michael McLean.
In the July 9 incident, Elmhurst police responded for a report of symbols of hate spray-painted on two garage doors of a home in the 400 block of North Oak Street, painted between 9:45 p.m. July 9 and 9:03 a.m. July 10. A swastika was also painted on a Lexus ES 350 at the home.
Three days later, on July 12, Elmhurst police officers received another call regarding a swastika spray-painted on a VW Atlas located on Crockett Avenue. Elmhurst police were able to identify Jexie as a suspect in those two cases and also identified him as a suspect in an April incident where a swastika was spray-painted on a home on Walnut Street. Jexie was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon (July 12) from his home without incident.
“I must thank the members of the Elmhurst community who partnered with the police department on this successful investigation,” McLean said. “The residents that provided home security video and promptly called 911 when they observed suspicious activity were crucial to solving these offensive crimes.”
Jexie appeared at a bond hearing Wednesday morning (July 13) where Judge Michael Reidy set bond at $100,000 with 10% to apply.
“The allegations against Mr. Jexie are very disturbing and have been charged accordingly,” Berlin said in the release. “Hate crimes have no place in a civilized society and the allegations against Mr. Jexie in no way represent the welcoming, good-hearted people of DuPage County.”
Berlin also thanked the Elmhurst Police Department and Assistant State’s Attorneys Rob Willis and Grace Barsanti for their work on the case.
In an email to Pioneer Press after Jexie’s bond hearing appearance, McLean offered reassurance to Elmhurst residents. “It’s our hope that residents who felt concerned for their safety after these incidents can now be reassured that the community worked together to identify this offender and bring him to justice,” McLean said.
Jexie’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 5, for arraignment in front of Judge Reidy.
Graydon Megan is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.