Chicago police say there was never any doubt the beating of a white man broadcast live on Facebook would be investigated as a hate crime. They say the four black suspects face hate crime charges because they were shouting racial slurs at the victim and because they referred to his mental capacity.
Police also say the victim had been friends with one of the suspects, 18-year-old Jordan Hill of suburban Chicago. They say on New Year's Eve, Hill and the victim met up at a suburban McDonald's to begin what both the victim and his parents believed was going to be a sleepover.
Police say Hill drove the victim around in a stolen van for a couple days. They ended up at a home in Chicago, where police say Hill and the three other suspects taunted the victim and beat him. Police say they believe the victim was tied up in a corner for "about four or five hours."
Chicago police say the victim got into "a play fight," which escalated and included racial slurs and references to the victim's mental capacity. The victim was able to escape after a downstairs neighbor threatened to call police and two of the attackers retaliated by kicking in the neighbor's door.
Police in Streamwood, Illinois, say the parents reported their son missing Monday, and later the parents received text messages from people who claimed to be holding their son captive.
