Joliet Victim Could Not Breathe, Then Man Dragged Her Across His Floor, Put Her In Bear Hug: Prosecutors

JOLIET, IL — The Will County State's Attorney's Office filed two charges of aggravated domestic battery and four counts of domestic battery against 29-year-old Joliet resident Luke Loden following this week's arrest by the Joliet Police force, but after hearing the prosecution's evidence, Will County Associate Judge Derek Ewanic ruled in favor of Loden, ordering his release from Will County's Jail.

Loden, who comes from the 2200 block of Mayfield Avenue, regained his freedom around supper time on Wednesday. Joliet police booked him into the jail late Monday night.

According to the prosecution's petition to deny pretrial release, at 7:55 p.m. on Monday, Joliet police responded to Loden's house on Mayfield Avenue for a domestic in progress. The victim met the officers near the road and told them that Loden was going through her paperwork, and he refused to give the documents back to her, holding them above his head.

When she jumped and grabbed the paperwork, Loden struck her with his elbow and then he reached around her neck and began to choke her, court documents allege. The woman told Joliet police she could not breathe for about two seconds and while Loden was choking her, he was also dragging her across her living room floor, the prosecutors pointed out to the judge.

Moments later, Loden put her in a bear hug while they were on the floor, preventing her from moving, court documents say. The woman broke free and ran outside to call 911. She complained to Joliet police about having pain to the right side of her neck, and the officers noticed bruising on her neck.

Loden's victim told the officers that she has been previously abused by Loden on three prior occasions, the prosecutors said.

Loden did give a statement to Joliet police. According to his version of events, he picked the woman up from work and drove back to his house and found mail that belonged to her. He said that she jumped on him and attacked him, so he pushed her off, and he bear-hugged her while they were on the ground so she would stop attacking him, the petition outlined.

He claimed that he let her go after she calmed down and called his mother, who showed up afterward. Loden's mother told the police that she asked if the woman suffered any injuries and that she did not see anything on her neck at that time.

According to the prosecution, Loden had previously obtained an order of protection against his victim, but then he failed to appear in court on Aug. 29, causing the order to be dismissed. "This allowed the victim back into his residence," prosecutors informed Judge Ewanic.