Trayvon Martin Case Spurs Chicago 'Hate Crime'

A black teenager in suburban Chicago told police that he beat up a white youth during a robbery because he was angry about the Trayvon Martin case, according to the state attorney's office. Alton Hayes, 18, has been charged with a hate crime, as well as aggravated battery and attempted robbery, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Police say Hayes and a 15-year-old accomplice, who is also black, attacked the 19-year-old victim on a street late at night. The victim was hit several times in the head and shoulder. The pair were caught a couple of blocks away after the attacked teen called police. "During the course of the investigation, we learned that the crime was related to the victim’s race," said a police spokesman. Hayes is being held on $80,000 bond, and the younger teen is being processed through juvenile court.