'I Am The Devil' Joliet Man Shouts During His Domestic: Prosecutors

JOLIET — A 56-year-old Joliet man arrested by Joliet police in connection with charges of aggravated domestic battery, two counts of domestic battery and one count of resisting the arrest has regained his freedom after Will County's State's Attorneys lost their petition to deny pretrial release for Luis Maldonado on Monday.

Joliet police were called to Maldonado's house in the 900 block of Manor Court on Saturday afternoon at around 2:20 p.m. However, as the officers were responding to the domestic battery call, the officers were notified that Maldonado showed up at the front desk of the police station.

As soon as Maldonado saw the Joliet police officers, he began shouting at one particular officer who was involved in the arrest of his daughter the previous day, court files show. Maldonado demanded the officers return to his house to retrieve his belongings and that the officers kick the woman out of their shared home. The officers notified Maldonado they could not kick the woman out of the house, and that is when Maldonado demanded they arrest her.

As he argued with the Joliet police, Maldonado kept telling the officers how he "ain't scared of going to jail," prosecutors outlined. "F*** you and your report," Maldonado told the officers, according to prosecutors.

Eventually, the officers went back to the house on Minor Court to make sure everything was okay. One of the officers then noticed that the woman's right finger was bleeding heavily; she told the officers that Maldonado pushed her twice and the second time he pushed her finger back, causing her whole nail to come off, prosecutors noted.

The woman informed Joliet police that while this was happening, Maldonado shouted, "I am the devil," the court records show.

When the two Joliet officers tried to arrest Maldonado, he clenched his fists and refused to put both of his hands behind back. Eventually, the same officer who arrested Maldonado's daughter the previous day, "then took defendant to the ground to attempt to get him into custody," prosecutors noted.

Maldonado continued to struggle with the officers during the arrest, so that is when one of the Joliet police officers hit Maldonado in the face two times, according to prosecutors. When officers managed to get Maldonado in handcuffs, Joliet Fire Department ambulances were called for him and the woman he shared the house with.

Joliet police later spoke with the woman about the attack. She told them that when Maldonado came home, an argument ensued. He yelled at her to get out of his house, but when she refused to leave, he pushed her in the right arm and wrist, court records reflect.

The second time, he bent her ring finger back, causing her nail to rip off completely from the finger, prosecutors noted. Then, when a 15-year-old girl had her phone in her hand, Maldonado pushed her in the stomach and took her phone from her, the court records indicate.

Instead of keeping Maldonado in the Will County jail, former prosecutor turned judge Tom Slazyk ordered electronic monitoring for the Joliet man. He must also stay away from the house on Manor Court and the two females there that he is accused of attacking.