Man Charged with Hate Crime after Fight with Jewish Neighbors

A Plainfield man who threatened to kill his Jewish neighbors has been arrested and charged with a hate crime, Plainfield Cmdr. Anthony Novak said Friday.

Jacob D. Kozak, 23, 14925 Bartlett Ave., was taken into custody Thursday after the Will County state's attorney approved charges and issued an arrest warrant in connection with an incident that occurred earlier this month, Novak said.

Police were called at about 5:15 p.m. March 10 on a complaint that Kozak was having a verbal altercation outside his house with the couple who live in a nearby home, he said. During the course of the fight, Kozak is accused of "bringing up the fact that the family is of Jewish descent" and threatening them with "bodily harm," Novak said.

According to the report, Kozak made several menacing remarks, including, "I'm going to kill you if you don't get out of my neighborhood," Novak said.

Kozak shares the Bartlett Avenue home with his parents, Novak said. Police have been called there before because of prior disturbances, but Novak did not know if Kozak has a criminal record.

A search of records shows that Kozak has at least one other arrest. Plainfield police charged him with driving with a suspended/revoked license on Jan. 22.

Kozak was being held in the Will County Adult Detention Center Friday in lieu of $2,000 bail. A hate crime charge is a Class 4 felony, punishable by one to three years in prison.