Will County Judge John Pavich Releases Another Strangling Defendant, Following His Joliet Police Arrest

JOLIET, IL — A 38-year-old man arrested by Joliet police in connection with allegations of placing his hands upon another man's neck area, causing him to be unable to breathe for one second, has regained his freedom after Will County Judge John Pavich ordered Juan Vieyra's release from the Will County Jail over the weekend.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow did file a petition seeking to deny pretrial release for Vieyra, who comes from Montgomery, but Judge Pavich rejected it. The judge did not include any reason, in his pretrial release order, explaining why he was releasing Vieyra even though "the defendant is charged with a detention-eligible offense/circumstance.:"

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Prosecutors charged Vieyra with aggravated domestic battery and two crimes of domestic battery.

According to the prosecution's filing, Joliet police responded at 11:18 p.m. on Friday to the 0 to 50 block of North Broadway Street for a disturbance. The officer spoke with Juan Vieyra who said his son slashed one of his girlfriend's tires so he came to take his phone and car keys away from him.

The defendant said he tried to grab the car keys out of his son's hands but was not unable to, so he pushed his son about the body and then began to scuffle inside the Volkswagen, according to court records.

"Juan stated he did not punch or choke" his son, prosecutors indicated.

Meanwhile, the son told Joliet police that his father arrived and tried to take his keys away. He was sitting in the car when Juan Vieyra grabbed him by his throat using both hands, court files show. The victim insisted he could not breathe for one second. The victim said his father got on top of him in the car and placed his knee on his throat and he was unable to breathe, prosecutors advised Judge Pavich. The victim said he gave Vieyra his keys and walked away. The Joliet police saw a scratch on the victim's right forearm and redness to his throat and chest. The victim's mother told Joliet police she witnessed them wrestling inside the car for the key and she saw Vieyra on top of her son, court records indicate.

In setting Vieyra free, Judge Pavich notified the Montgomery man that his next hearing will be May 14 in Courtroom 405 of Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak.