First Stalking Charges In 2026 For Joliet Senior Citizen On Cora: Judge Orders His Release From Jail

JOLIET, IL — For the first time this year, 72-year-old Panagiotis Sakitjakis has been booked in the Will County Jail by the Joliet police officers in connection with his latest offense of violating a stalking no-contact order. This time, however, Will County Judge Donald DeWilkins ruled against the SAFE-T-Act, ordering the Joliet senior citizen's release from custody after three days of incarceration.

The judge placed Sakitjakis on electronic monitoring and ordered him to stay away from the woman who lives at the neighboring property in the 900 block of Cora Street.

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This week, the Will County State's Attorney's Office filed a petition to deny pretrial release for Sakitjakis.

According to prosecutors, Sakitjakis "has been charged seven different times for violation of the stalking no contact order. He reached an agreement with the State to plead guilty to one of the charges in order to strike the other six, but with leave to reinstate. The State intends to reinstate those charges because the defendant has continued to violate the order after being sentenced."

Prosecutors further explained "he has shown that he is not willing to listen to court orders and will not leave the (neighboring couple) alone. He was previously put on an electronic monitor with home confinement but continued to violate the order. There is no condition or set of conditions that would protect the (victims) and allow them to have peace at home than to keep the defendant in the Will County Adult Detention Facility."

Will County prosecutors informed Judge DeWilkins that he has been stalking the same woman and man for several years. After being sentenced in early April, "he has set up several cameras pointed directly at the (victims') residence. Police were called on May 17 after defendant was in his backyard and staring at (the woman) while she was near her garage at about 6:51 p.m. ... She began recording video and defendant went into his house. At 6:58 p.m. she caught the defendant staring at her from his window and recorded that as well. Officers talked to the defendant who showed them the live feed from his camera, pointed only at (the woman's) property, seeing nothing of defendant's own property. Due to him violating the order of not monitoring, observing or surveilling, defendant was placed under arrest."

In 2024, Joliet Patch reported that Sakitjakis, who resides in the 900 block of Cora Street, has been involved in a long-standing dispute with his next-door neighbors, a 51-year-old woman and her 47-year-old husband, and both of them have taken out multiple protective orders against him in recent years.