7-Eleven Worker Shouts Slurs, Pulls Knife On Men In Lombard: Cops

LOMBARD, IL --- A Chicago man has been charged with two felony counts of hate crime after he allegedly shouted racial slurs at four men and slashed their tires while he was working at a 7-Eleven in Lombard Thursday. Police say Ranferi Basilio, 32, of Chicago,"pulled out a long-bladed knife" and chased a Hispanic male and three African-American males out of the store on Westmore Avenue.

According to police, the men came into the store just before 10:30 p.m. and Basilio started to yell racial slurs at them. The men then began to leave the store, but Basilio allegedly followed them outside while wielding a knife.

The victims told police they ran from the scene, leaving their car behind, once they saw that Basilio was armed. Basilio then allegedly yelled, "I'm going to slash all four tires" before using the knife to slash each tire on the victims' vehicle.

Police arrived shortly after and took Basilio into custody.

In a statement, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said, "Let me be perfectly clear, any crime driven by hate, with the intent to harm, intimidate or instill fear in another, will be met with the full force and effect of the law. Hate crimes, and the accompanying prejudice that fuels these despicable actions, have no place in our society and will not be tolerated in DuPage County."

Basilio is currently being held in DuPage County Jail on $50,000 bond.

Image via DuPage County State's Attorney's Office