Joliet Defendant 'Has A History Of Drug Abuse And Violence': Prosecutors

JOLIET, IL — A 42-year-old Joliet man from the 2400 block of Byrum Boulevard will be spending his Christmas and New Year's holidays in the Will County Jail after being arrested by the Will County Sheriff's on three charges of aggravated battery and three crimes of domestic battery. After hearing the prosecution's evidence, Will County Judge Derek Ewanic agreed that Ely Rolando Villagrana needs to be kept in jail under the SAFE-T-Act.

"The defendant's pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons in the community," the prosecution's petition stated.

According to prosecutors, four Will County Sheriff's deputies responded to Villagrana's house in the 2400 block of Byrum Boulevard at 4:55 p.m. Dec. 15, after 911 dispatchers revealed that Villagrana "was under the influence of drugs and acting erratically." Villagrana also declared he wanted to kill someone, court files allege.

At the scene, he explained that his 73-year-old mother picked him up from work and they returned to his house, where they were discussing multiple things. His mother told sheriff's deputies that she picked him up from work and while driving home, she saw him inhaling something from a canister. He has a history of violence and drug abuse under similar circumstances, court documents noted.

His mother described "how he wants to hurt everyone." The mother said she lives in fear for her life when Ely does drugs and this is not the first time Ely has threatened their lives, prosecutors told Judge Ewanic.

According to prosecutors, the defendant's stepfather told deputies that "Ely came to the back sliding door and was yelling and screaming for him to be let in. Ely was threatening (his mother and stepfather) stating he wanted to kill everyone." When the stepfather opened the back sliding door, Villagrana allegedly ran toward him, causing them both to fall to the kitchen floor, knocking a kitchen table into a wall.

"Ely attempted to strike (his stepfather) with a closed fist. (He) was eventually able to push and strike Ely off him and Ely retreated outside on the back deck," prosecutors said. Sheriff's deputies saw a scratch on the victim's arm that began at his wrist and was 7 inches in length and 1 inch wide. The victim declared he wanted to pursue criminal charges and completed the Will County complaint form for domestic battery.

"Officers observed the kitchen in disarray with the table separated in two with the tablecloth halfway off onto the floor, and a vertical blind panel to be off of the back siding door wall," prosecutors outlined.

As for Villagrana, he has a pending 2024 case in Cook County for aggravated battery to a nurse; a 2024 battery charge from Cook County was dismissed. In 2023, he pleaded guilty in Cook County to reckless conduct and resisting a peace officer and he still has a 2022 pending case in Will County for harassment via electronic communications.

His other criminal history takes an entire page of court document. Some of the highlights include a 2023 Cook County battery, a 2022 Will County pending case of possessing cocaine and a battery charge, a 2011 resisting arrest in DuPage County, DUIs from 2009 in Will County and 2006 in Kendall County, a 2006 armed robbery in Kane County drew a six-year prison term and a 2006 arrest in Kane County for battery.