A 27-year-old Hispanic man is facing hate crime charges after he allegedly spray-painted pro-ICE graffiti and swastikas on several buildings in Little Village with links to Palestinian and immigrant communities.
Philip Dominguez, 38, turned himself in to Chicago police after detectives released surveillance images of the person responsible for the graffiti on Friday.
Prosecutors say Dominguez targeted four locations in the neighborhood on July 19: the district office of Illinois State Senator Celina Villanueva in the 2500 block of South Central Park. and three locations in the 2700 block of West Cermak: the Chicago Liberation Center, Latino Progresando, and a produce store called La Fruteria.
At each location, Dominguez allegedly spray-painted swastikas—sometimes directly over pro-Palestinian murals, flags, or community messages supporting immigrants. Prosecutors said surveillance footage captured Dominguez defacing the door of Latino Progresando and a mural at La Fruteria, which had displayed the words “Free Palestine.”
The following night, on July 20, around 1:30 a.m., Dominguez returned to La Fruteria and added the phrase “ICE RULES” near the same mural, prosecutors alleged.
Prosecutors said Dominguez admitted to spray-painting all four sites and told detectives he was angry about issues related to Palestine and immigration. Detectives confirmed his admissions through surveillance footage and cell phone location data that allegedly placed him near the crime scenes at the times of the incidents.
All four sites are known for supporting immigrant rights or Palestinian causes. Senator Villanueva’s office window included her name and fliers for pro-Latino initiatives, prosecutors said. Latino Progresando provides legal aid for immigrants, while pamphlets on interactions with ICE were visible outside La Fruteria.
Prosecutors did not seek to detain Dominguez during his first court appearance on Tuesday. Judge Ankur Srivastava ordered him to stay away from the locations that were defaced and avoid contacting certain individuals, according to court records.
He is charged with five counts of hate crime with property damage, felony criminal damage to property, and five counts of misdemeanor property damage.
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