'You Left Me For That?' Victim Taken Away On Joliet Fire Department Stretcher: Prosecutors

JOLIET, IL — This week the Will County State's Attorney's Office filed felony aggravated battery charges in connection with the severe beating and hospitalization of a Joliet homeowner.

Prosecutors revealed the victim sustained a break in the 12th thoracic vertebrae of his neck, a broken nose and a concussion. Despite the seriousness of the victim's injuries, Will County Judge Derek Ewanic ruled in favor of 39-year-old criminal defendant Amel Hodzic, rejecting the prosecutor's effort to put Hodzic in the Will County Jail under the SAFE-T-Act.

The incident happened in the 1000 block of Magnolia Avenue, according to prosecutors, and resulted in Monday's filing of two counts of aggravated battery and one criminal trespass against Hodzic. The aggravated battery charges accuse Hodzic of causing great bodily injury and trying to strangle someone.

In his ruling in favor of the felony defendant, Ewanic ordered the defendant be placed on electronic monitoring through GPS. The defendant must also stay from his victim and the victim's house in Joliet on Magnolia.

According to prosecutors, when Joliet police arrived at the house back on July 21, Officer Guzman found the victim being placed on a Joliet Fire Department stretcher with blood all over his face. Blood was on the front porch, too.

A woman who was a witness told the officer that the victim is her current boyfriend, and they were lying in bed at his house when she received a phone call from her ex-boyfriend, Hodzic, who remarked, "You left me for that mother******?" court files show.

Soon after she hung up the call, she heard a knock at the door. The woman's new boyfriend went to the door, and she heard her boyfriend exclaiming, "Why are you here?"

When the woman went to the door, she saw her new boyfriend lying on the porch with blood all over his face and Hodzic standing in the driveway yelling, "You left me for that mother******?" court documents informed the judge.

Hodzic then drove off in a blue Tesla; Joliet police discovered that Hodzic left his wallet behind on the victim's porch, court documents show.

The beating victim went to Silver Cross Hospital and Joliet police went there to get his statement.

Prosecutors noted that the victim had difficulty recalling the events because of his injuries, but he did remember a bald man with a half beard knocked on his door. He recalled that words were exchanged, but he did not remember what was said.

He recalled the attacker tried to force his way into his home and made it a couple steps inside, before he pushed the man out of his home, court records note. On the front porch, the victim remembered Hodzic grabbed him by his neck, applied pressure for about 30 seconds, and he could not breathe during those 30 seconds. He told Joliet police that Hodzic had his hand around his neck and headbutted him in the nose area, prosecutors outlined.

At the time of the Joliet police interview, the victim had a neck cast on. The officer saw dried blood all over his face and a small laceration to his nose and forehead.

According to prosecutors, Hodzic came to the Joliet police station on July 21 to give his statement. He told them he went to the victim's house to retrieve a TV. Prosecutors noted that Hodzic could not explain to Joliet police how he knew where the victim lived. Hodzic said the man opened the door and he introduced himself and that the victim pushed him onto the porch and at some point, "their heads collided. Defendant had an injury to the top of his head," court files suggest. "The people pray that this honorable court deny the defendant pretrial release."

Court records indicate the Will County Public's Defender accepted the appointment to represent Hodzic and not guilty pleas were entered on their new client's behalf. The next hearing is set for Aug. 28 in Courtroom 405 of Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak.

At the time of the incident, Joliet police arrested Hodzic and subsequently released him from custody, giving him a notice to appear in court.

Related Joliet Patch story:

'Amel Headbutted Me And I Blacked Out And Fell To The Ground': Joliet Victim Tells Judge Jarz