'Incarceration Won't Help, I Can Only Foresee A Worse Outcome:' Man Charged After Standoff With Police

JOLIET, IL — Erik Aviles, the 47-year-old former Army sniper who Joliet police say tried to take his housecleaners hostage with a gun at his home in the 500 block of Irving Street after falsely accusing them of stealing his possessions, is now back in the Will County Jail after being the focus of last week's Will County Sheriff's Office Warrant Wednesdays Facebook wanted poster.

Aviles was kept in the Will County Jail from Jan. 9 until May 19 — when Will County Judge Fred Harvey ordered his release despite a previous judge's ruling keeping him detained under the SAFE-T-Act. After being let out of the Will County Jail, Aviles became a no-show and skipped out on his pretrial court hearings in August, prompting Judge Harvey to issue a warrant for Aviles' arrest.

At 12:43 p.m. Jan. 9, more than 50 Joliet police officers and SWAT members responded to the 500 block of Irving Street for a disturbance involving a handgun. The officers made contact with an adult man and female who reported being threatened with a handgun by the homeowner, later identified as Aviles, during a house cleaning appointment. Near the end of the appointment, Aviles became angry and accused the man and woman of stealing. At that point, Aviles retrieved a handgun from a nearby couch and pointed it at the male victim, according to police.

This past Friday, around lunch time, the Will County Sheriff's Office took Aviles back into custody — after he experienced four months of freedom. Now, there's no telling if and when Aviles will ever be released from Will County's Jail facility.

On May 19, Judge Harvey released Aviles from custody — while his felony charges are pending at the Will County Courthouse. The judge made his ruling about three weeks after Aviles sent him a letter from his Will County Jail cell stating, "I am writing this because I would like to provide some insight about the person I am and not about the horrible result of the incident that happened."

In his letter, Aviles wrote, "I have had zero incidents. I've worked at two elementary schools looking out for the safety of children and staff. Dever School and Yates School, both Chicago public schools. I have volunteered at feeding shelters, giving food to the homeless and those in need. I have looked out for neighbors and always went out of my way to be available."

Aviles also wrote "I worked for EMS at Hines VA in Joliet. I keep to myself not looking for or causing any issues. I had plenty of cleaning services without incident, Soap and Suds in Chicago, Illinois."

According to his letter to Judge Harvey, "I lost two brothers/teammates in battle. Risked our lives bringing them back. Somehow made it back physically, just not mentally and emotionally. I was in the hospital for six months with organ failure and flat-lined twice ... I am going through stage 4 (cirrhosis.) I was able to take control of my alcoholism. I have managed to purchase my own family home which is now in jeopardy."

In his April 26 jailhouse letter, Aviles informed Judge Harvey he planned to attend Joliet Junior College to enroll in culinary arts.

"This incident has shown me that I still need my VA psychologist Doctor Henry, which I plan on doing and also getting back on my medications," Aviles wrote in his letter, before being granted pretrial release. "Incarceration won't help. I can only foresee a worse outcome with my medical and mental ailments, the VA is the only means financially that I can get help. I have gone out of my way to avoid any and incidents since leaving the city and purchasing my home in Joliet."

While in the jail from January through April, Aviles noted he completed three certificate courses "and I am teaching myself a different language on my own time. My next life choice is chasing one of my passions by starting and completing culinary arts school. This is not a revolving door facility for me. Returning to the WCADF is not nor has ever been a part of my plan."

In Judge Harvey's May 19 ruling, he ordered Aviles on electronic monitoring and home confinement from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. He was also forbidden from having contact with four different people, which included members of the house cleaning company Aviles is accused of threatening with a gun and trying to take hostage in January.