Florida woman on trial for Homer Glen hate crime against Black woman

A Florida woman is on trial on 2020 charges alleging that she called a pregnant Black woman a racist slur, battered her and then battered two Will County sheriff’s deputies outside a Homer Glen banquet facility.

The bench trial for Sarah Benain, 30, of Naples, Florida, began Tuesday in front of Will County Judge Jessica Colón-Sayre. She will decide whether Benain is guilty of four charges of aggravated battery and one charge of committing a hate crime.

The charges stem from a Will County Sheriff’s Office investigation into an altercation involving several people on Jan. 4, 2020, outside DiNolfo’s Banquets, 14447 W. 159th St., Homer Glen.

Four witnesses, including two deputies, testified to hearing Benain, who is white, repeatedly use the N-word during the incident.

After Tuesday’s testimony, Colón-Sayre continued the trial to Oct. 24.

In opening statements, Jeffrey Aprati, one of Benain’s attorneys, disputed that his client hit anyone or committed a hate crime. Aprati contended that when Benain accidentally fell into a group of people at DiNolfo’s, she was called a “stupid white [expletive],” and she said “some words” back at them.

“That was in retaliation of what they said to her,” Aprati said.

Aprati argued that Benain had no intent on slapping one deputy because she was drunk, experiencing claustrophobia and trying to run away from the situation.

Adjoa Matthews, who is Black, testified that Benain yelled the N-word at her when she was leaving DiNolfo’s with her boyfriend, Benjamin Coble, who also is Black.

Matthews said she and Coble were leaving a celebration for her relatives. Benain was at DiNolfo’s for a different celebration. Neither Matthews nor Coble knew who she was before the incident.

Matthews said that when she heard the racist slur, she immediately turned around and told Benain, who was with another man, that she should “watch how you use that word.” Matthews said a “fight broke out” between Coble and the man who was with Benain, and she tried to “break it up.”

Matthews said Benain pulled her to the ground by her hair, which caused her glasses to fly off her face and break. Matthews said she told Benain to let go of her hair, but Benain struck her in the face and wrapped her legs around Matthews’ stomach.

Matthews said she tried to slide away from Benain to “protect my baby” because she was three months pregnant at the time. She said Benain was belligerent, incoherent and “very drunk” during the incident.

“[I was] just trying to protect my baby as much as possible,” Matthews said.

Coble testified that he heard Matthews shout “I’m pregnant” when Benain had her legs wrapped around Matthews. An ambulance was called to the scene, and Matthews said she suffered a scrape to her knee, but her baby was fine.

Matthews said she hadn’t been drinking alcohol because she was pregnant. Coble said he hadn’t been drinking either because he was Matthews’ designated driver.

Coble said he had an encounter with Benain before that altercation. He said that when he was inside his vehicle in preparation for leaving DiNolfo’s, he saw Benain banging on his window and asking whether he was an Uber driver.

When Coble said he wasn’t, he said Benain called him a racist slur.

“She seemed really upset that I wasn’t an Uber driver,” Coble said.

Deputies Jeff High and Robert Stanko testified about the incident. High said he was working as security at DiNolfo’s when he responded to the incident. He said he saw a “pile of people on the ground” who were screaming.

High, who is Black, said he heard Benain shouting the N-word “over and over again.” He said Benain was “wildly excitable” and “pretty much out of control.”

Stanko said he was one of the deputies who tried to detain Benain. He said he saw Benain strike Deputy Mark McKenzie in the face.

He said the deputies had to move Benain to the inside of a squad vehicle because she was being passively uncooperative by having “spaghetti legs.”

At one point, Stanko said Benain “slipped off” her handcuffs. He said Benain kicked Will County Sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick Jones, who is Black, and used a racist slur. Stanko said he had to give a warning to Benain with a stun gun.

Stanko said he told Benain, “You will be tased if you kick again.”