Supermercado La Joliet Domestic Disturbance: Joliet Man Jailed Under SAFE-T-Act

JOLIET, IL — A 36-year-old Joliet man from the 300 block of Third Avenue now finds himself incarcerated indefinitely under the SAFE-T-Act following his recent arrest by the Joliet police force at the Supermercado grocery store at 379 East Cass Street. Prosecutors have charged Antonio Bavaro with aggravated battery and domestic battery.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office submitted a petition to deny pretrial release for Bavaro and Will County's weekend judge, Shenonda Tisdale, agreed to keep Bavaro detained. Bavaro is accused of attacking the same woman he attacked in 2020, resulting in his 2022 Will County domestic battery conviction, prosecutors noted.

According to court files, Joliet police responded to Supermercado for a domestic disturbance last Friday, Nov. 14. The victim told officers that Bavaro grabbed her by the arms and shoulders and shook her during an argument. Bavaro was trying to intimidate her, she emphasized.

"She indicated that the incident occurred near the sidewalk and the physical contact lasted for approximately one minute or less."

The victim informed Joliet police that Bavaro uses drugs and alcohol and they have two small children together, court files show.

After Bavaro was arrested and brought to the police station, he denied touching the woman.

"I may have threatened her, but I never touched her," prosecutors revealed. Bavaro told Joliet police that she was fabricating the incident due to his criminal history and he told the officers that she was the real aggressor. Officers noted a strong smell of alcohol coming from Bavaro's breath, prosecutors outlined.

The court files show that three members of the Joliet Fire Department saw Bavaro "grab and shake" the woman.

As for his criminal history, prosecutors noted that Bavaro was convicted in 2020, in Will County, of domestic battery and received 24 months of probation at his 2022 sentencing.

He has 2018 and 2019 convictions in Will County for aggravated battery in a public place, a 2018 Will County driving with a suspended license and a DUI from 2014 in Pennsylvania.