An early morning fight inside a DeKalb residence ended with a machete attack, a man in the hospital, and a stack of serious felony charges, according to police.
Officers say the assault unfolded just before 12:30 a.m. Thursday in the 800-block of Edgebrook Drive, where a victim was left with a severe injury to his right forearm.
DeKalb police officers and fire personnel treated the man at the scene, then had him taken to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital for further care, according to ABC7 Chicago.
Police say they recovered the machete used in the attack and identified Joshua Boyer as the suspect. According to ABC7 Chicago, investigators reported that Boyer approached an officer and admitted he had attacked the man he was living with "over money." He now faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated domestic battery and a hate crime.
Witnesses told police that during the assault Boyer used racial epithets and "threatened to kill him," ABC7 Chicago reports. Boyer was transported to the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office, where he is being held pending a detention hearing, police said. Authorities did not immediately release additional details about the victim or the incident.
Hate-crime charge explained
The hate-crime count tacked onto Boyer’s case signals that prosecutors allege the violence was at least partly driven by a protected characteristic, which can increase potential penalties or trigger other legal consequences.
As detailed by the Illinois General Assembly, Section 720 ILCS 5/12-7.1 lets the state upgrade certain underlying offenses if they are committed "by reason of" a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation or other protected traits. Whether prosecutors ultimately pursue enhanced penalties will depend on the ongoing investigation and what they choose to file in court.
What happens next
For now, Boyer remains in custody ahead of a detention hearing in DeKalb County, where a judge will review the allegations and decide whether he stays locked up while the case moves forward.
This story will be updated as police or prosecutors release more information.
