David A. Martin Sr.
An Arlington Heights man is charged with a felony hate crime after police said he spewed “racial slurs and epithets” at a Black man working security at a downtown Arlington Heights realty office recently.
David A. Martin Sr., 54, was arrested just before 8 p.m. Aug. 17 outside a business on the 0-100 block of South Evergreen Avenue in downtown Arlington Heights, according to police reports.
Court records show the security guard was signaled by a worker at a nearby Starbucks that Martin was causing a disruption outside the coffee retailer. When the security guard approached Martin, Martin began shouting slurs and “playing and singing music that elicited racial epithets,” according to police reports.
When the guard tried walking away, Martin is accused of following him and threatening to attack him and have someone else attack him as well, court documents show.
Police arrived shortly thereafter and took Martin into custody.
Court records also show Martin’s arrest took place on his 54th birthday.
Martin was denied pretrial release and remains in custody at the Cook County jail.
Martin’s next court date is Sept. 13 at the Cook County courthouse in Rolling Meadows.