Ex-Gemini Giant Owner Lands In Will County Jail For 2nd Time: Prosecutors

JOLIET, IL — For the second time since December, the former owner of Wilmington's Gemini Giant international Route 66 tourist landmark, and the now-closed Launching Pad restaurant, finds herself in the Will County Jail. On Tuesday morning, the Will County Sheriff's deputies booked the 53-year-old Holly Higgins Barker of Wilmington into their jail facility at 95 South Chicago St. near Joliet's downtown.

The jail logs indicate that Barker is charged with disorderly conduct stemming from April 26. She resides in the 800 block of Wilmington's Baltimore Street, her jail records show.

The Wilmington Police Department's criminal complaint, filed May 15, indicates that Barker knowingly yelled racial slurs at a woman in Wilmington "in such an unreasonable manner as to alarm or disturb another .... and to provoke a breach of the peace."

On June 12, a Will County judge issued a warrant for Barker's arrest and "the amount is bail is $0.00, no bond," the warrant declared.

Additionally, a couple who own Hopkins Towing company in Wilmington have obtained an order of protection against Barker to keep her away from them.

"Holly was a client of mine through my place of business, Hopkins Towing Inc. She called me threatening to kill me," the order of protection petition informed Will County's judges last November. "I hung up on her. She did call me back and was yelling throughout the phone. I am afraid for my employees and my wife. She will show up anywhere. She does carry a knife around. She admitted on social media that she would kill me."

The same order of protection against Barker noted that last Aug. 28, "Holly sent an email saying, 'The calls start tomorrow. Castle law is in effect.' She thinks she can kill anyone under 'Castle law.' She does have a warrant for her arrest for another stalking no contact order for failure to appear," the document said, adding that "she needs help."

Last December, Joliet Patch published a court story about Barker headlined, "Holly Barker Learns Sentence After Wilmington Plea Bargain."

After spending 25 hours in the Will County Jail, Holly Higgins Barker, the owner of the empty Launching Pad restaurant building in Wilmington, regained her freedom following her plea agreement and sentencing at the Will County Courthouse.

Court records indicate that Barker pleaded guilty to the crime of disorderly conduct. Will County prosecutors dismissed Barker's second criminal charge, harassment by telephone, as part of her plea bargain. Will County Judge Donald DeWilkins sentenced Barker to one year of court of supervision and fined her about $720. After her sentencing, Barker was freed from the Will County Jail; she was taken into custody by the Will County Sheriff's Office a day earlier because she had an outstanding arrest warrant, after failing to show up in court for several of her court scheduled court appearances.

According to the order of protection stalking petition taken out by a neighbor on June 19, 2024, "Holly put a sign up on my fence stating I was a raccoon satanic vampire living next door."

A Wilmington Police Department report was cited in the court record.

Then, the next day, Barker was at it again, according to the petition.

"Holly posted on Facebook stating, 'I'm going to fillet the vampire bitch like a mother f****** carp and throw the (corpse) on the road for Wilmington to pick up, or if you're not interested there are tons of vultures. You have maybe 48 hours.' "I have the video present with me as evidence," the victim wrote in court papers.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

• Criminal Charges Filed Against Former Gemini Giant Owner
• Gemini Giant Will Be Moved To Safe Location: GoFundMe Vows
• Destruction Of Launching Pad Underway, Police Cite Owner: 12 Photos
• Launching Pad: Joliet's Museum Would Buy It, But Only At This Price