'He Has Stated He Relates To People Who Kill Their Partners And Their Families': Crest Hill Victim

JOLIET, IL — Will County Judge Derek Ewanic has ruled in favor of Alex Masick, a 46-year-old long-time convicted criminal residing on Gaylord Road in Crest Hill, rejecting efforts by the Will County State's Attorney's Office to keep Masick detained under the SAFE-T-Act. On Sunday, Crest Hill police arrested Masick on charges of aggravated assault to a police officer and four counts of domestic battery.

The victim also had two different orders of protection against Masick in 2024, informing Will County's judges at the time that "we had an argument that resulted in Alex threatening me, stating he was going to stay home and physically assault me. In the past he has stated he relates to people who kill their partners and their families. After this argument, I decided to remove myself and the children from the home out of fear for our safety."

On another occasion in 2024, "I took Alex to a funeral where he became intoxicated. When I drove him home, I left him sleeping in the truck and went inside the house. Alex later came into the house still intoxicated and pulled me off the bed me and the children were on and began punching me in the head. The two youngest children witnessed him assaulting. This is not an isolated incident. He has punched (my) teeth out in the past," the woman's order of protection stated.

Masick's latest arrest, from Sunday afternoon, is outlined by the Will County State's Attorney's Office unsuccessful petition to deny pretrial release for Masick under the SAFE-T-Act.

However, Judge Ewanic sided with the long-time convicted criminal whose record includes a 2000 robbery in Cook County that drew a seven-year prison sentence at the Illinois Department of Corrections. Masick had a 2004 DUI/drugs conviction in Cook County, unlawful possession of a gun by a felon in 2004, also in Cook County. He served 628 days in jail for a 2007 carjacking in Cook County. He received another seven-year prison sentence out of Cook County for a cluster of 2012 convictions including possessing a stolen gun, unlawful possession of a gun by a felon and manufacture and delivery of marijuana more than 500 grams.

Masick has four different driving while license revoked convictions from 2019, 2008, 2012 and 2010.

As for Sunday's arrest, Crest Hill police officer Bryan Barnes was called to the 2100 block of Gaylord Road at 4:54 p.m. for a domestic. The 911 dispatchers informed him that Masick was trying to kick in the front door. As officers arrived, they heard a woman yelling "Stop." Crest Hill police found heavy damage to the front door and multiple chairs and a kitchen table flipped over inside the house.

The female victim was yelling from the kitchen, and Officer Barnes saw Masick on top of the woman as she covered her face with her hands as Masick was grabbing her wrists, court files show.

When the officer ordered Masick to stop and get off her, he did not comply, and several officers had to push him off her. The victim told the officers that Masick was currently staying at her house. She said, "he was intoxicated and was yelling at her stating he wanted to kill her."

The woman told the officers at the scene that she went outside called Crest Hill police from inside her car and then ran inside and locked the front door. Masick grew irate and began kicking the door, so she tried to block it with her body and chairs and the kitchen table, court documents note.

The woman was shaking and crying. She had a swollen left cheek and blood behind her left ear. She also had scratches on her back and neck.

Back at Crest Hill's police station, Masick "became irate and wanted to fight officers. (He) took a bladed stance and balled his fists in front of Officer Barnes and stated he was going to 'pop' him. Officer (Joseph) Locasto and Officer Barnes removed their tasers and warned (Masick) if he attempted to hit Officer Barnes, he would be tased. (Masick) sat back down," prosecutors noted.

This year, Joliet Patch has written about a number of criminal defendants who were accused of violent crimes, who could have been kept in the Will County Jail under the SAFE-T-Act only to have Judge Ewanic rule in their favor and let them out of custody.

In regard to Masick, the Will County State's Attorney's Office pointed out that Masick "made several comments that if he lost his job, he would go back to his previous illegal activities and would shoot any police officer that made a traffic stop on him."

However, after hearing the prosecution's case, Judge Ewanic ruled that spending the past three days in Will County's Jail was enough incarceration for the Crest Hill defendant.

On Tuesday, the veteran judge ordered Masick's release as he placed Masick on electronic monitoring, informing him to stay away from the victim and her house on Gaylord Road in Crest Hill. Masick was also placed on home confinement monitoring at a residence in suburban Addison, the judge's order showed.