Judge: Joliet Man Accused Of Taking Woman's Parents Hostage At Gunpoint Must Remain Jailed

JOLIET, IL — A 46-year-old member of the Joliet community, George Hall, will remain in the Will County Jail for the next several months, in all likelihood, now that Will County Judge Derek Ewanic has ruled Hall meets the dangerous standard under the SAFE-T-Act.

A week ago, the Will County Sheriff's arrested Hall at his house in the 700 block of Pontiac Street, and he's now being charged with two counts of intimidation, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and defacing identification marks on a gun.

According to the petition to deny pretrial release, Hall's wife called 911 even though she was not at home. She alerted authorities that her parents were beingheld hostage at gunpoint by her husband. Her parents shared the home on Pontiac Street with her and Hall.

At the scene, sheriff's deputies found a 57-year-old woman in the front porch doorway, visibly distraught and shaking, according to the petition. Then the police saw the woman's husband dive down the stairs and exit, court files show.

Last, Hall exited, wearing a black pistol holster that was empty. Both victims cooperated and gave the sheriff's deputies statements.

"The gist of this was that at about 1:30 p.m., the defendant told them he wanted to speak to them. In the living room, he ordered (the woman) to call her daughter, his wife, and put her on speaker phone," court documents show. "He was holding a black handgun during this time. Once the call was completed, he told his wife ... to come home or he would kill her parents. He also told them that if they attempted to leave, he would kill them."

At one point, the female victim heard the gun slide, prosecutors revealed. The male victim told the deputies that Hall held the gun the entire time.

"Police eventually recovered a black handgun with a purple handle in the bedroom closest to the living room. That firearm was defaced. The defendant is a convicted felon," prosecutors outlined.