Hot Coffee Tossed On Joliet Gas Station Employee Who Suffers 2nd-Degree Burns: Prosecutors

JOLIET, IL — A 41-year-old woman from Berwyn who spent two days in the Will County Jail in connection with allegations of throwing hot coffee on an employee at Joliet's BP Gas Station at 1415 Plainfield Road has regained her freedom thanks to Will County Associate Judge Derek Ewanic. The victim in the case suffered second-degree burns and needed to be taken by a Joliet Fire Department ambulance to St. Joe's hospital, according to court files.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow has filed three felony counts of aggravated battery against Yanet Duarte, who was arrested by Joliet police on Sept. 30.

Glasgow assigned assistant state's attorney Steven Platek to file a petition to deny pretrial release for Duarte, but Judge Ewanic rejected the prosecution's arguments as he ordered the woman from Berwyn out of the Will County Jail even though she faces a detainable crime under the SAFE-T-Act.

According to Will County prosecutors, at 8:12 a.m. on Tuesday, Joliet's officers were sent to the BP Gas Station at 1415 Plainfield Road after an employee stated that Duarte was previously trespassed from BP and she was there this morning.

After the BP Gas Station worker told the defendant she was not allowed to be there and had to leave, Duarte threw hot coffee on the BP employee, striking her on the torso area, the court files show.

After the victim pulled her shirt away from her body, Duarte threw more hot coffee on the woman, court documents reflect.

Prosecutors noted that Duarte walked away but was located nearby and actually ran into traffic on Plainfield Road. She stopped traffic and officers detained her after she pulled away and resisted. The employee at BP had red blisters on her stomach and EMTs took her to the hospital. She had second-degree burns. The coffee machine had a temp reading of 200 degrees.

As for Duarte, "she is a flight risk and has no ties to the local community. She is also a threat to cause disfigurement to members of the community," prosecutors noted.

In the end, Judge Ewanic ruled in favor of the out-of-town woman accused of throwing 200-degree coffee on the Joliet gas station employee multiple times. He ordered Duarte's release from custody and the Will County's jailers let her out of the facility at supper time on Wednesday.