KEY POINTS

  • Bruce Mirabella will be sentenced next month after he was found guilty of attacking a Jewel employee with Asperger's syndrome last year
  • Mirabella said he acted in self-defense when he punched and kicked the bagger with special needs
  • The victim said during trial that he only wanted to pat Mirabella on the shoulder

Bruce Mirabella will be sentenced on April 6 after he was found guilty of attacking a worker at the Jewel store in Bartlett, DuPage County, Chicago last year. The supermarket bagger has Asperger’s syndrome.

According to the Chicago Tribune, DuPage County Judge Brian Telander found Mirabella guilty of the class 3 felony on Wednesday and also revoked bond for the battery suspect. The 51-year-old was also convicted in 1993 for reckless homicide.

The beating incident took place on July 22, 2019. After punching and kicking the 27-year-old supermarket employee, Mirabella went home. Shortly after the incident, police officers tried to place Mirabella under arrest in his home but he resisted. He had to be tasered during the arrest.

During his testimony in court, the bagger explained that Mirabella said something he couldn’t understand clearly and walked towards the suspect to give him a pat on the shoulder. Mirabella then allegedly punched the bagger and kicked him.

An audio recording from a Bartlett police car at the time of Mirabella’s arrest was played by assistant state attorney Bethany Jackson. In the audio, Mirabella was heard using derisive words to describe the bagger, the Daily Herald reported.

Mirabella, who is a former wrestler, said in his testimony that he acted out of self-defense. He added that kick was a martial arts move that should create some space between him and the supermarket employee.

This is not the first incident of battery on a person with special needs in Chicago. Earlier this year, Jacquetta D. Hill was charged with three counts of felony aggravated battery and another charge related to child endangerment.

At that time, NBC affiliate WMAQ-TV reported that Hill reportedly put her hands around a student’s neck at the Aurora, Kane County juvenile mental health care facility where she worked in.

While the incident took place in October, Hill surrendered to the authorities on January 17 and posted bail for her release. If found guilty of the choking move that was described as “impeding” the juvenile’s breathing, the 35-year-old suspect is expected to face up to five years behind bars.

Aside from facing potential jail time, Hill is required to register as a violent offender against young people. The mandatory registration is in accordance with Illinois laws protecting youth.

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