Boyfriend Accused of Strangling Girlfriend With Her Underwear

Michael Gallagher, 36 | Cook County Sheriff

Alsip, IL, May 22, 2016 -- An Oak Lawn man was arrested after prosecutors said he strangled his girlfriend twice during an argument and then followed her to a gas station where he threatened to hit her with a brick.

Michael Gallagher, 36, appeared before Cook County Judge Steven Rosenblum on charges of aggravated domestic battery and unlawful restraint.

He currently has a pending felony case for felony aggravated assault from November 2015 for allegedly dragging a woman in her car when she caught him having oral sex with another woman.

Gallagher also has a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct for bothering people in a park with his girlfriend, who was found passed out with her buttocks exposed, according to an Oak Lawn police report.

According to the most recent charges, Gallagher arrived at friend’s house around 5 p.m. May 8 in the 4000 block of West 117th St., Alsip, where he and his girlfriend are staying with a friend along with their 2-month-old child.

The prosecutor said Gallagher had done heroin earlier in the day. His girlfriend was talking on the phone to her mother when Gallagher accused her mother of bad mouthing him.

Gallagher started cursing the girlfriend while throwing shoes and lighters at her. The two were in the bedroom where Gallagher pummeled the woman and kicked her, the prosecutor said.

According to the girlfriend, Gallagher straddled her and put his hands around her neck, choking her to where the prosecutor said she was unable to breathe for 40 seconds.

Preventing her from leaving the bedroom, he allegedly removed and tied her underwear around her neck, strangling her a second time to where she could not breathe. When he let go, she was gasping for breath, the prosecutor said.

The woman was able to get out of the house and began walking to a nearby gas station. Gallagher is said to have followed her, screaming and spitting at her.

On the way, the prosecutor said, he picked up a brick and threatened to hit her with it. When the two arrived at the gas station, Gallagher picked up a brush and hit her in the arm.

The girlfriend went to the Alsip Police Department to report the alleged incident.

Gallagher is currently out on $50,000 bail for the November 2015 charge, and $5,000 for misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge in April. He also has two prior arrests for domestic battery and for violating an order of protection, the prosecutor said.

The reason for the delay in charges for the new case was due to Gallagher being in the hospital for a week, the prosecutor said.

The assistant public defender told the judge that Gallagher is a graduate of Dwight D. Eisenhower High School in Blue Island. On Gallagher’s behalf, the assistant public defender asked that the Oak Lawn man be placed on electronic home monitoring.

“He’s not a good candidate for release,” Judge Rosenblum said. “He is a threat to the safety of the alleged victim and to the community.”

During the hearing, Gallagher turned around and mouthed the words “I love you” to a woman sitting in the courtroom.

Judge Rosenblum set bail at $100,000. Gallagher’s next court hearing is June 17 in Bridgeview. Violations of bail bond were also filed.