Woman says she feared for her life when man hurled racist slurs, spit at her in road rage incident in cemetery
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ALSIP, Illinois (WBBM) — A woman went to visit a friend’s gravesite, and said she ended up being the victim of a hate crime.
“I thought he was going to kill me or hang me on one of these trees,” the woman said.
As CBS 2’s Jermont Terry reported Monday night, the woman, Camille, filed a report with Alsip police after what she called a terrifying visit to the cemetery. The question was looming Monday night as to whether it was all prompted by rage or race.
When most people come to a cemetery, it’s a solemn visit. But when Camille finally got the courage to visit her former boyfriend’s grave at Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, she said anything but solace took place.
“He just started yelling at me like very loudly and very demanding, and just calling me slander names,” Camille said.
Those racist slurs and derogative words came from a stranger. Grainy surveillance video showed a sport-utility vehicle blocking her vehicle. A man is seen jumping out, pointing, and walking her way.
“He just kept coming close to me and I just was trying to get back to my car, and he would not let me get in my car,” Camille said. “He told me he had to stay where I’m at, and I can’t get in my car until he said I can leave.”
The video shows the man following Camille throughout the desolate cemetery grounds off 115th Street and Laramie Avenue.
“He’s an older gentleman,” Camille said. “I think this was a hate crime and he was just very racist.”
Alsip police called it battery because the man is accused of spitting in Camille’s face and kicking her car – all because of an apparent road rage incident after Camille accidentally cut the man off in traffic.
The man then followed her two blocks into the cemetery to express his frustration.
“As soon as I turned around, I saw him rushing in here and getting out his car and rushing to me,” Camille said.
Camille was not hurt, but she said she feared for her life.
Alsip police were reviewing the grainy video after she filed a report. But the man was not in custody late Monday.
As police look into the racist road rage cemetery rant, Camille hopes the man arrested soon and everyone can learn to relax on the road.
“It just could’ve been avoided,” she said. “It’s 2021. Everybody should be getting along.”
Camille was able to get a clear image of the man’s Nissan Pathfinder from her phone. Police traced the Michigan license plate to an address, but had not found the man who was driving at the time as of late Monday.
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