A suspect has been arrested after a bakery in the Village of Lake in the Hills was vandalized, causing the cancellation of a highly anticipated, family-friendly drag show that was scheduled to take place at the bakery on Saturday, the Lake in the Hills Police Department said in a news release.
Officers responded to UpRising Bakery and Cafe shortly after midnight after being notified of “criminal damage to property in progress,” according to the news release. The suspect fled the scene on foot. Lake in the Hills officers, assisted by Algonquin Police Sgt., arrested Joseph I. Collins, 24, of Alsip.
According to police, Collins has been charged with a hate crime and criminal damage to property. His bond was set at $10,000 and he remains in custody.
The bakery “suffered significant damage early this morning,” police said. Officers found broken windows and hateful messages spray-painted on the building.
Police had already closed the streets for the drag show, and streets in the bakery’s surrounding neighborhoods remained blocked Saturday morning.
UpRising Bakery and Cafe hosted a “Starry Night Brunch Drag” show at the store beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, according to Facebook. The sold-out event was billed as a family night filled with food and entertainment.
“For the safety of performers, staff and the community, we have canceled tomorrow’s event and will be closed on Saturday 7/23/22,” the bakery’s Facebook page said in a recent post. “At this point, we’re asking everyone: DON’T COME TO OUR PLACE TODAY AT ALL. We didn’t want to back away from the hooligans, but we absolutely cannot in good conscience go ahead with tomorrow’s plans. It breaks our hearts. We’ll update when we can.”
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In the comments section of the post, one man’s business response read: “Our cafe was completely smashed and vandalized overnight.”
Hundreds of reactions, comments and shares flooded the post within hours of its publication, with many expressing their love and support for the business, while condemning any hate and negativity the business and Saturday’s event received.
Corinna Sack decorates cakes and cookies at her bakery, UpRising Bakery and Cafe, on July 21, 2022 in Lake in the Hills. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
“I’m so sorry this happened to you and your business,” one commenter wrote under the business’s Facebook post. “You deserve so much better! The communities around me sometimes make me sad with their hate…is that really how you want to raise your kids to be haters? I prefer that my children learn to love and accept all people. If you don’t want to go to something happening in your community, just don’t go, don’t ruin it for everyone else.
Saturday’s event was set to feature performers Jakki Love, Venus and Krystal Ball Diva. Love has a show in Elgin on Sunday.
Next Saturday, the bakery is set to host a Disney Karaoke Night.
The bakery was also gearing up for another similar-style event on Aug. 7, called “Drag Brunch,” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., for which tickets are still available at eventbrite.com. Bakery owner Corinna Sack has not yet commented on whether or not this event will still take place.
“We ask that no one be in the bakery today,” Sack said in a brief phone interview Saturday morning.
She said she could not comment further on the incident at this time.
Lake in the Hills police were parked outside the office Saturday morning, as were Algonquin firefighters checking the building’s roof.
Plywood covered a window and door in the front of the bakery. Police kept the media away from the property and were expected to patrol the site throughout the day.
George Galanis lives around the corner from the bakery, and the Lake in the Hills Police Mobile Incident Command has been parked near his house on Quail Run since Friday night.
Galanis learned about the show from his grandson and later from a letter police sent to neighbors.
“I was pretty worried about it,” he said, adding that he canceled his plans for Saturday night to be home.
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After learning of the vandalism, he went to see the damage. Galanis said he feels bad for the other businesses in the mall because access is limited, he said.
“She didn’t deserve it,” Galanis said of the vandalism to Sack’s business. “But that’s how people act today. If they have a certain belief, they act on it.
On Tuesday, Lake in the Hills police said in a news release that the department received “reports from concerned citizens regarding a drag show performance hosted by UpRising Bakery and Cafe.” Some residents complained about the event, especially its advertisement that children could attend.
Lake in the Hills Police and Community Development spoke with Sac and after an investigation found no violations of the village’s municipal code and confirmed that no nudity or sexually explicit content will be part of the show.
The news release also said Sac reported receiving threats to the business in person and online after the event was advertised and that the police department is investigating.
There were also protests and counter-protests reportedly planned for Saturday, police said in the press release.
“The safety and constitutional rights of anyone who may choose to participate is the police department’s priority,” the news release said. “We are taking measures to ensure that everyone has the right to protest peacefully. However, we would like to remind everyone that under no circumstances will the police department tolerate a disruption of this event or any activity that disturbs the peace. The department will adopt a zero tolerance approach to those individuals who choose to attend with plans to engage in acts of violence or criminal activity.
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