Victim Falls Off Car Hood On Joliet's East Side: Prosecutors

JOLIET, IL — After losing its petition to keep Plainfield area aggravated domestic battery defendant Jeff Behun inside the Will County Jail, the Will County State's Attorney Office of Jim Glasgow was successful in its petition to detain Raphael McGaughy. The 19-year-old South Holland resident, who has been jailed three separate times by Joliet police since last May, is accused of injuring a woman last week after she fell off her car while McGaughy drove off, according to court documents.

McGaughy is charged with aggravated battery, aggravated assault and domestic battery.

According to the Will County State's Attorneys:

On March 22, which was last Friday, Joliet police learned of a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of South Hebbard Street, on the city's northeast side. The victim told officers McGaughy took her car after grabbing her arm and ripping her jeans while taking her car keys.

She was on the hood of her car trying to stop McGaughy, but he drove away as she fell off the hood, prosecutors informed the judge. McGaughy also displayed a gun at her during the incident and he did so in a threatening way, court records show.

The woman told Joliet police she is two months pregnant and went to the hospital to get examined after falling from the car. After Joliet police arrested McGaughy, he claimed he was at her house getting clothes and he denied hitting her. Prosecutors pointed out that McGaughy was also out of jail on bond for a domestic battery charge from 2023 involving the same victim. That crime also involved a dispute involving McGaughy taking the woman's car.

As for McGaughy, he was already on probation for a 2021 juvenile crime involving aggravated discharge of a gun, and he also has a 2020 home invasion conviction as a juvenile.

"Furthermore, the defendant is on bond for two felony offenses involving firearms. Although the handgun was not recovered on March 22, the defendant has a history of violence and firearm offenses and should not be released from custody," argued assistant state's attorney Donna Webdell.