Man charged with yelling racial slurs at Lyft driver in Bloomingdale

A man has been charged with yelling racial slurs and threatening a female Lyft driver in northwest suburban Bloomingdale.

Steven McCuiston, 59, was charged with a count of felony hate crime and a count of misdemeanor criminal damage to property, the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office said in a statement.

About 1:50 a.m. Wednesday, McCuiston was a passenger in a Lyft vehicle when he allegedly began yelling racial slurs at the driver, prosecutors said. When the driver exited the vehicle to call police, McCuiston climbed over the driver’s seat, followed the woman out of the car and yelled more slurs, prosecutors said.

He allegedly threatened to kill her and said, “Just because you’re a Muslim, I’m gonna kill you and snap your neck,” prosecutors said. McCuiston allegedly punched the woman in the shoulder and tore off two door handles from her vehicle. Police arrested him at the scene.

A DuPage County judge Friday ordered McCuiston, who lives in Bloomingdale, held on a $25,000 bail. He is due in court again on April 1.