This archive report was first published on 27 September 2019.
On June 14, 2018, a disturbing video went viral, showing a man berating a woman in a Chicago park for wearing a T-shirt with the Puerto Rican flag. The incident sparked widespread condemnation from public officials, including the governor of Puerto Rico.
Fast forward to 2019, the man, Timothy Trybus, 63, has been convicted of two felony hate crime charges in connection with the incident. A Cook County jury found him guilty on Wednesday after deliberating for three and a half hours at the Second Municipal District Skokie Courthouse in Skokie, Ill.
According to reports, Mr. Trybus repeatedly asked the woman, Mia Irizarry, if she was an American citizen and demanded to know why she was wearing a shirt with the Puerto Rican flag. He even went so far as to tell her, “You are not going to change us, you know that, right?” as he walked up to her.
Ms. Irizarry, who was setting up for a birthday party in Caldwell Woods, had paid for a permit and was not causing any disturbance. Despite this, Mr. Trybus continued to harass her, saying, “Are you a United States citizen? Then you should not be wearing that.”
Mr. Trybus was arrested that day and charged with disorderly conduct and assault. He was later charged with felony hate crimes in connection with the episode.
Ms. Irizarry's video went viral about a month after the confrontation, prompting swift condemnation from public officials. In an interview last year, she said that during the encounter she was “genuinely fearful for what could have happen to me.”
Assistant State’s Attorney Sharon Kanter told jurors that freedom of speech is “a hallmark of our democracy,” but added, “However, it is not unlimited. You can’t say anything, anywhere at any time.”
Mr. Trybus's lawyer, David Goldman, said in an interview that the question he posed to the jury was whether Ms. Irizarry was “really, reasonably in fear of receiving a battery.” He noted that his client never touched Ms. Irizarry, and that she kept her poise during the encounter.
Mr. Trybus, who had been allowed to remain at home while wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet pending trial, was taken into custody after the verdict.
