March 30, 2023
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Alsip man accused of Lake in the Hills hate crime released on bond

UpRising Bakery & Cafe owner thanks police, community

By Amanda Marrazzo
People walk into Uprising Bakery & Cafe in Lake in the Hills, Monday, July 26, 2022, after the store reopened Sunday after its front windows were smashed and epithets written on the walls, to long lines and enthusiastic community support. The cafe, which was planning to host an all-ages drag show Saturday night, had experienced backlash over the previous few weeks.

People walk into Uprising Bakery & Cafe in Lake in the Hills, Monday, July 25, 2022, after the store reopened Sunday after its front windows were smashed and epithets written on the walls. (Gregory Shaver - gshaver@shawmedia.com/Gregory Shaver Shaw Media )

The Alsip man accused of the hate crime that shuttered UpRising Bakery & Cafe in Lake in the Hills over the weekend was released on bond.

Joseph Collins, 24, of 11700 block of South Ridgeway, Alsip, is charged with a hate crime and criminal damage to property, each Class 4 felonies, according to the criminal complaint filed in the McHenry County courthouse. If convicted, the charges carry a sentence of one to three years in prison. He could also be sentenced to probation.

Collins bonded out of McHenry County Jail where he was held on $10,000 bond, $1,000 of which was needed to be released. He is due in court Tuesday morning.

The charges allege he smashed the glass out of three storefront windows and one glass door with a bat, less than a day before the bakery was to host a family-friendly drag show. He also is accused of spray painting offensive words on the building.

UpRising owner Corrina Bendel-Sac reported harassment in the weeks leading up to the drag show, which was canceled Saturday after the cafe’s vandalism the night before.

Joseph Collins, 24, of Alsip, was charged with two counts July 23, 2022 related to the vandalism at UpRising Bakery and Cafe in Lake in the Hills.

Joseph Collins, 24, of Alsip, was charged with two counts July 23, 2022 related to the vandalism at UpRising Bakery and Cafe in Lake in the Hills. (Provided by McHenry County Sheriff's Office)

Alsip police declined to comment on whether they have had any contact with Collins and required the Northwest Herald to file a Freedom of Information Act request for information. No information was supplied.

A call to a phone number listed on court documents as Collins’ was answered by a male who said the reporter had the wrong number. Attempts to reach a member of Collins’ family were not immediately successful.

McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally said Collins has no known address in McHenry County and it is uncertain as to the extent of his ties to people in the area.

With windows and doors boarded up until repairs could be made, the restaurant reopened for business on Sunday. Customers wrote supportive messages on the boards covering the broken windows.

UpRising owner Corrina Bendel-Sac thanked the community for its support shown to her business, as well as “customers from near and far” who reached out. “It shows us that there is more love in the world than hate, but hate does still exist,” she said.

Lake in the Hills Police also were proactive in attempting to stop potential problems, she said.

“The Lake in the Hills police have protected us since July 5, July 6, they have been non-stop protecting us here at the cafe,” Bendel-Sac said.