Knife Held To Little Girl, But Joliet Man Freed From Jail: Testimony

JOLIET — Efforts by the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow to keep a 50-year-old Joliet man accused of gripping a sharp knife against the victim's 4-year-old girl and threatening to kill the woman in the Will County Jail were unsuccessful as Will County's weekend judge, Rolonda Mitchell, ruled against them under the SAFE-T-Act.

The prosecution's petition to deny pretrial release for Julio Villanueva indicated that Joliet police arrived early Saturday and had to break the door open to get inside, and that Villanueva had the victim's 4-year-old daughter in his possession.

"He also held a sharp object that was later recovered and learned to be a knife to their 4-year-old daughter ... when demanding his phone back," Will County prosecutors informed Judge Mitchell.

According to the prosecution, Joliet police were called to Villanueva's residence in the 3800 block of Trading Post Lane around 3:15 a.m. Saturday and the victim was found outside crying and barefoot. The woman suffered scrapes on her body, a cut wrist and a forehead bruise.

She told Joliet police she was arguing with Villanueva when he pushed her down the stairs. After he did that, Villanueva cut her wrist with a sharp object and threatened to kill her if he didn't get his phone back, the prosecutors outlined.

When Joliet police made the arrest, Villanueva told them he did push the woman, but that was because she had attacked him, court records show. Villanueva did not have any visible injuries, and he denied threatening the 4-year-old child, who also did not show any visible injuries, prosecutors noted.

Glasgow's staff went ahead and charged Villanueva with one count of aggravated battery, two counts of domestic battery and one count of aggravated assault.

Instead of ordering the Joliet 50-year-0ld to remain in Will County's Jail, weekend judge Mitchell ordered him to be on electronic monitoring. He must also stay away from the residence in the 3800 block of Trading Post Lane, and he was must stay away from the woman he is accused of harming as well as the 4-year-old girl.

Villanueva walked out of the Will County Jail, after regaining his freedom, at 1:40 p.m. Sunday.