Shorewood Woman Tortured and Strangled by Knife-Wielding Boyfriend: Cops

A Shorewood woman was allegedly tortured and strangled by a knife-wielding boyfriend who tried to gouge out her eye.

Skylar Pickett, 24, allegedly menaced his 38-year-old girlfriend in August. He was apprehended Friday and carted off to the Will County jail on nine felony charges and a couple misdemeanors.

The girlfriend petitioned for a protective order against Pickett three days after the alleged attack but took off before her case was heard, according to court records. In her petition, she said she started dating Pickett, who lives in tiny Downstate Potomac, on July 3. A mere 29 days later, after a night out together, he attacked her without provocation, she said, telling how he allegedly spat in her face and dragging her by the hair.

Pickett also punched her in the head, pinned her arms down with his knees, choked her until she passed out, slapped her face, held a knife to her throat, punched her again, choked her until she lost consciousness again, tried to gouge out her eye with his thumb, spit on her again while telling her “that is hot,” and then kissed her, the girlfriend said.

While Pickett was gouging her eye, the girlfriend said, she told him she was afraid he “would pop (her) eyeball out,” to which he replied, “That’s the idea.”

“I had to tell him I loved him and we could start over and he could move in with me,” the girlfriend said. They left town together to get his things, the petition said, but she sped off after he got out of her car. She said she returned home and fell asleep.

Pickett’s bond was set at $150,000.