Jason Ostrego sentenced to prison for hate crime stabbing outside Elgin bar

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Jason Ostrego was sentenced to 19 years in state prison for stabbing a Black man outside a bar in Elgin in 2022.

Anton Patterson testified in court he is in pain every day from the stab wounds he suffered two and a half years ago. His attorney said he is lucky to be alive.

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The stabbing happened on Dec. 31, 2022, and was recorded on cell phone video by witnesses. The 28-year-old Ostrego can be heard on the recording calling Patterson derogatory racial names, including the n-word. Prosecutors charged him with attempted murder and armed violence. They said this was also a hate crime, and that was an aggravating factor in the sentencing.

"Hate was definitely the motivation. We decided to move forward on the more serious offenses," said Assistant State's Attorney Eric Leafblad.

READ MORE: Video shows man yelled N-word before stabbing Black man outside Elgin bar, prosecutors say

An employee of the bar, David Scruggs, who tried to intervene in the attack also addressed the court. Scruggs was also stabbed in the face. He said he kicked Ostrego out of the bar for using derogatory language just before he got a knife from his car and attacked Patterson.

Ostrego pleaded guilty to the charges. Judge David Kliment sentenced him to a total of 19 years in prison.

The victims said they are satisfied.

"I'm very satisfied with the outcome. We can rest peacefully and easily," Patterson said.

"It says to our community that there are people out there who use hate to commit violence. And if we didn't respond forcefully we wouldn't be doing our job," said Asst. State's Attorney Jamie Moser.

Ostrego was taken into custody in the courtroom to begin serving his 19 years in state prison. By state law he must serve 85% of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.