Joliet Man's 'Alcoholism Is The Worst I've Ever Experienced, I Do Not Feel Safe Around Him': Victim

JOLIET, IL — Joliet resident Michael Moreno was arrested by the Joliet police for the second time since September on charges of unlawful violation of an order of protection. Upon hearing the evidence, Will County Judge Derek Ewanic ruled in favor of the prosecution. The judge ordered the 38-year-old Moreno to stay in the Will County Jail indefinitely under the SAFE-T-Act.

Moreno is no stranger to the jail. He was kept in the county lockup from Sept. 10 until October 16 and he was jailed in 2023 and 2022. Moreno comes from the 1000 block of Murphy Drive.

According to this week's criminal complaint, Moreno went to the 38-year-old woman's apartment in Joliet in the 500 block of Bethel Drive, despite knowing the woman already had an order of protection to keep him away from her and that address. The complaint noted that Moreno just pleaded guilty in October to the same crime of unlawful violation of an order of protection involving the same victim

On Dec. 6, according to Will County prosecutors, Joliet police were notified that Moreno had violated the order of protection once again. He had arrived at her apartment in the 500 block of Bethel and began to bang on a window, court records show. He then asked the victim for a cigarette lighter. Afterward, Moreno walked around the apartment and proceeded to bang on all of her windows; Joliet police found Moreno in an unlocked van behind the victim's residence, court records show.

On Oct. 16, Moreno pleaded guilty to violating an order of protection and was sentenced to 37 days in the Will County Jail, of which he had already served awaiting trial. As part of his sentence, Moreno was ordered to stay away from the Joliet woman and her apartment on Bethel Drive. "Defendant shall be released as to this matter," the sentencing order read.

"Michael had substance issues since we started dating four years ago," the woman's order of protection from August 29 reads. "His alcoholism is the worst I've ever experienced. Michael has threatened to kill himself. He has been hospitalized and treatment (sic) more times than I can count. The past few months Michael has been involved in heavy drinking along with psychosis. He also has been doing cocaine and giving out my address to drug dealers and prosecutes (sic). I've had to call the cops multiple times due to trying to get him help."

Back in 2020, the Will County Forest Preserve District Police arrested Moreno at the Rock Run Preserve in Joliet on charges of public intoxication, under the influence of alcohol.

Now, based on the latest arrest, Will County Judge Derek Ewanic has ordered Moreno to stay in the Will County Jail under the SAFE-T-Act's dangerous standard.

"I do not feel safe around him when he's drinking," the woman's order of protection reads. "He keeps trashing my apartment as well as being so drunk to pee himself and throwing up. I allowed him to stay for a few days while waiting for treatment, but the drinking has started again. I'm mentally drained and physically sick due to this ... Michael can easily grab me and throw me. I don't (feel) safe at home with him there."

On September 10, Moreno was ordered detained under the SAFE-T-Act, and the Joliet man remained in the jail for more than a month until he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to freedom.

In that crime, Joliet police were notified on Sept. 9 that Moreno was trying to get into the woman's apartment on Bethel Drive despite having an order of protection against him. According to court records, Joliet police found him near the woman's first-floor apartment unit on the sidewalk near the apartment building.

The victim told the officers that Moreno was trying to get inside through her window. She told officers "Moreno tried to pull out the window air conditioner to gain entry into the apartment but was unsuccessful due to him being highly intoxicated," court documents show.

His criminal history, all in Will County, includes a 2019 sentence for criminal trespass to vehicles, a 2018 retail theft, aggravated DUI from 2012 and a DUI in 2011.