A woman from Chicago who live-streamed the racially-charged beating of a disabled Caucasian teen pleaded guilty to hate crimes on Friday. She was sentenced to four years of probation.
Nineteen-year-old Brittany Covington has been in custody since her arrest in January. The incident involved her and three other African Americans who assaulted and intimidated an 18-year-old disabled caucasian man.
The judge said he hoped the probation terms would help Covington change her life path. He told her he could have sent her to jail but later changed his mind.
“I’m not sure if I did that you’d be coming out any better,” he told Covington, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Hooks warned her there would be no second chance: “Do not mess this up,” he told her.
The 19-year-old pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and intimidation charges. Prosecutors dropped additional charges, such as kidnapping, as part of a plea deal.
At the time of the incident, the victim—whose identity has not been revealed yet—managed to escape from the suspects when the four left the apartment to confront neighbors that complained about the noise, according to the Tribune. Prosecutors said the victim has schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The victim was later treated at a hospital where injuries including cuts to his head, face, and body, as well as a stab wound on his left arm, were found, according to authorities.