'The Baby Was A Surprise To Defendant And He Was Upset About It': Prosecutors Charge Joliet Man With 2 Crimes

JOLIET, IL — Against the wishes of the Will County State's Attorney's Office, Will County Judge Donald DeWilkins has ruled in favor of 43-year-old Joliet resident Luis Valencia-Vazquez. The Joliet man was arrested on the scariest day of the year, Halloween, on charges of aggravated battery and domestic battery.

According to his criminal complaint, Valencia is accused of striking his female victim about her head multiple times on Oct. 30.

Joliet police responded to the Valencia house in the 2200 block of St. Francis Avenue for a loud noise complaint. The victim told the officers that Valencia was drinking alcohol and playing the music loud. Officers told him to turn the music down and left, but as the night wore on, the officers got a 911 emergency call advising that the caller heard her father slap her mother, court files show.

This time, the victim cried and was upset. She told the officers how she and Valencia were arguing in the kitchen and the living room about who called the Joliet police in regard to the loud music complaint from earlier.

"She noted defendant was highly intoxicated and raised his open hand and slapped her on the right lower cheek area of her face," prosecutors revealed.

She rated the pain at a 5 or 6 on a pain scale of 1 to 10.

"Officers also observed a laceration on (her) upper left lip and by the side of her left eye that had suspected blood," court documents show. "She also advised the officers that she is 26 weeks pregnant and the baby was a surprise to defendant and he was upset about it. She refused to be photographed and refused medical attention."

At the Valencia household, officers interviewed the two teenagers who heard their parents arguing and one of them heard Valencia slap their mother, court documents indicate.

"She also heard defendant making comments to (the victim) to kill herself and the baby ... defendant has been abusive and physical with her and her siblings in the past," prosecutors revealed in their filing.

In the end, Judge DeWilkins ruled in favor of the Joliet defendant, ordering Valencia's release from the jail. However, he must stay away from his female victim and his house on Saint Francis Avenue.

"Shall be allowed to get personal items with a Joliet police escort to and from ... Saint Francis Avenue, Joliet," Judge DeWilkins wrote in his SAFE-T-Act pretrial release order.

Valencia was let out of the Will County Jail on Sunday afternoon, his jail logs show. He also spent time in the county jail in July of 2021.