Some of the language used in this story may be difficult to hear.
RIVER FOREST, Ill. (CBS) – A River Forest business owner says he’s been mocked by neighboring store owners for more than a year.
Shop owner Glenda Harris said the man repeatedly called her and her daughter racial slurs, an incident that was caught on camera this week leading to him being taken away in handcuffs.
River Forest Police charged Robert Palomo with misdemeanor battery after they say his crimes were captured on video.
Various camera angles captured Palomo, the owner of Diamonds in the Rough in River Forest, on Wednesday as he approached the front door of his neighboring dog grooming business, which is in the same mall as Harris’s business, Epic Signature Sweets. The Black-owned business specializes in braids, hair weaving and eyelashes.
When Palomo approached the front door, he appeared to be holding a hammer, which he then used to remove the front door security camera.
However, a camera inside the store captured the incident.
“I think he was looking to hit me with a hammer,” Harris said.
She added that she has had multiple interactions with Palomo over the course of more than a year: “He has asked me why we are here, why we are doing business here, we are black people, we shouldn’t be here, we have to leave.”
The video shows Palomo being taken into police custody on Thursday, the same day that Harris called police to file a report.
Palomo was charged with misdemeanor criminal damage to property, police said, and Harris said police told him the charges could be upgraded to a felony if he could provide receipts proving the surveillance system cost more than $500.
CBS News Chicago attempted to reach Palomo at his company for comment but he was not available. CBS News Chicago showed the video to Palomo’s wife, who declined to comment.
Harris said the trouble with Palomo escalated on July 16 when she parked her car close to his store, which has no designated parking spaces for stores or customers at the mall.
“He swore at me 10 times, 10 to 15 times, and he wouldn’t stop,” Harris said.
Harris added that she called River Forest police that day but they did not take her report. Police told her not to park near Palomo’s store.
“We’re asking for support through the village,” Harris said. “We just want this to stop.”
Later, on May 23, Harris’ daughter, Erica Robinson, said Palomo stopped her after she parked her car in front of Palomo’s shop to go to her mother’s salon, where she works as a hairstylist assistant.
“Before I could get out of my car, he came up to my car and started yelling, ‘Why are you here? Get out! Get out, you son of a bitch!'” Robinson said.
Robinson recorded the incident.
Palomo appeared to tease Robinson about his hair, then Palomo’s wife came out of the store with a recording of Robinson on, and Palomo provided his wife’s recorded version to CBS News Chicago.
Robinson can be heard in the video saying, “Stop talking to me! Don’t do that! Don’t do that!”
Palomo’s wife then responded, “I’m not touching you.”
Robinson responded, “Exactly!”
Palomo was subsequently confirmed to have repeatedly used racial slurs again in both recordings.
CBS News Chicago asked River Forest police why reports were not written about the incidents on May 23 and July 16. Police were also asked why Palomo was not charged with a hate crime if racial slurs were used and it was captured on video.
They didn’t respond.
Palomo said in a statement that the dispute began when Harris’ employees took over six parking spaces at the mall. He said he didn’t want his dog to walk across the parking lot for the safety of his customers. He added that it was frustration that escalated into the latest incident.
Harris said Palomo’s accusations about the parking lot were untrue, and that during their first confrontation, Palomo told her she couldn’t rent a home at the mall because she was black.
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