Man files suit against 3 men in road-rage brawl
By Janet Lundquist jlundquist@stmedianetwork.com March 18, 2013 11:04PM
Alex S. Wilhelmi
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Updated: April 20, 2013 6:30AM
A man who claims he was beaten last summer by a Will County board member’s son and two other men in a road-rage incident is suing the trio and said he is the victim of a hate crime.
In a lawsuit filed March 13, Trey Travis accuses Alex Wilhelmi, Manual Borrego and Daniel Duffy of beating him during a road-rage brawl in July.
Wilhelmi — the son of county board member Steve Wilhelmi and nephew of former state Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi — Borrego and Duffy all faced criminal charges in connection with the incident.
In his lawsuit, Travis said that while they beat him, the men said “that they were going to ‘beat Plaintiff’s black a--.’ ”
Steve Wilhelmi could not immediately be reached for comment.
Borrego and Duffy, each of whom was charged with two counts of battery, ended up with a year of court supervision. Wilhelmi’s single count of battery was dismissed in November.
Special prosecutor Dave Neal said he dismissed the case against Wilhelmi because the case against Borrego and Duffy was “most provable,” as an officer saw them commit the crime.
About 10:30 p.m. July 1, Wilhelmi, 21, and Duffy, 23, of Joliet, were passengers in a car driven by Borrego, 24, of Joliet.
Police said Borrego cut off a Saturn sport utility vehicle near Marion Street and Raynor Avenue. Then a passenger in Borrego’s car threw a 44-ounce soda cup into the SUV, spilling it on the three people inside, police said, and Borrego followed the SUV to the 800 block of Dellmar Avenue.
Borrego again cut off the SUV, which rear-ended his car, and the SUV driver tried to speed away but didn’t realize that Travis had hopped out, police said.
Wilhelmi began whipping Travis with a belt, police said, while Borrego and Duffy punched and kicked him.
Residents saw the fight and called police, with one man reportedly wielding a bat to fend off Wilhelmi, Borrego and Duffy.
The men are due in court on the lawsuit July 1.
