Alexandra Szustakiewicz, a 64-year-old woman from Darien, Illinois, was identified as a woman attacking a Palestinian-American couple in a viral video. Szustakiewicz now faces hate crime charges over assaulting a couple over their national origin at Panera Bread in the 7000 block of Lemont Road.
According to multiple reports, on Saturday, November 16, 2024, Downers Grove police responded to a disturbance call at Panera Bread. CBS News, citing a press release, said upon arrival, police learned Szustakiewicz berated and assaulted a Palestinian-American couple "regarding his sweatshirt with 'Palestine' written on it."
Szustakiewicz, accused of initiating the violent altercation, allegedly also tried to knock the phone down from the hands of the pregnant wife, who was recording the incident. The clip has since made its way online and gone viral.
The elderly woman was charged with two felony hate crime counts and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Alexandra Szustakiewicz's viral Panera Bread assault video explored
Waseem Zahran, the Palestinian American man, who was at the receiving end of the attack alongside his wife, told multiple publications the incident began after Alexandra Szustakiewicz quietly hurled an insult at the couple waiting to place their order at Panera Bread. Zahran told CBS:
"And at first I didn't know what she said because of her accent, so I smiled at her and thought she was saying something nice to us. I said, 'Oh, what was that?' And she was far away and said it again and came closer to my face and kept repeating it."
The verbal assault quickly escalated to a physical attack when Szustakiewicz allegedly tried to throw a cup of coffee at them.
The video of the incident shared on multiple social media platforms, including X and Facebook, showed Waseem Zahran standing in between his wife and Alexandra Szustakiewicz as she attempted to lunge across him to seemingly knock the phone out of his wife’s hands.
Zahran is seen trying to obstruct Szustakiewicz from lunging toward his wife before grabbing the elderly woman’s hands to prevent the assault. The woman is then seen trying to hurl a cup of coffee at the woman documenting the incident before Zahran intervenes and tries to knock the cup out of her hands.
Zahran, who grabbed the coffee cup out of Szustakiewicz’s hands, is then seen hurling it at the elderly woman, who rushes toward the couple and continues to lunge for the woman with the phone. Szustakiewicz was heard repeatedly saying, “Call the police” as Zahran told her “Get away from my wife.”
Szustakiewicz then approaches the counter and asks one of the employees to call the police. She then attempts to approach the couple, seemingly to stop the woman from recording the incident. The couple continues to back away as she advances them. Zahran can be heard reiterating, “Get away from my wife.”
Zahran then tells Szustakiewicz to stop going after his wife or he will be impelled to “punch” her. In response, Szustakiewicz says “I’m gonna punch you too,” prompting Zahran to reply, “Punch me.” Szustakiewicz then walks away from the couple.
Alexandra Szustakiewicz was arrested the next day
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ABC reported that Szustakiewicz left the Panera Bread before police arrived at the scene. However, she was arrested at her home on Sunday and taken to the DuPage County Jail.
Daily Herald reported Alexandra Szustakiewicz’s first appearance in court was on Monday. The court date is scheduled for December 16, 2024.
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