Banned From Catholic Church, Joliet Criminal Defendant, 55, Regains Freedom After Kitchen Incident

JOLIET, IL —A 55-year-old Joliet man has regained his freedom after spending three days inside the Will County Jail, however, one of the conditions of his pretrial release is that he stay away from the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church property where he was arrested by Joliet police officers around the time of last weekend's masses.

Arturo Granados-Briseno could have remained in detention under the SAFE-T-Act, but Will County Judge Derek Ewanic determined that was not the best outcome.

Instead, the judge ordered Grenados to go free, but stipulated he must stay away from the woman he is accused of attacking at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, as well as their house in the 300 block of South Ottawa Street. Also, no more visits to the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church property at 205 East Jackson Street, Judge Ewanic instructed.

Granados was also ordered to remain on electronic monitoring while his criminal charges are preceeding.

"One time police escort allowed to retrieve belongings," Judge Ewanic advised in his order for electronic monitoring.

Will County prosecutors have charged Granados with aggravated battery and domestic battery. In their petition that tried to keep Granados detained under the SAFE-T-Act, prosecutors noted that last Sunday, Nov. 8, Joliet police responded to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the responding officers found Grandaos being detained outside the church .

Multiple people at the church told the officers that the woman who was the victim was hit inside the church kitchen. The officers found the woman sitting in a chair surrounded by other people suggesting she was pushed. The woman told the officers she was pushed to the ground by Granados.

She showed the officers her injured elbow, which was red and she relayed that the injury happened when Granados pushed her to the ground, court files show.

The victim advised that she did not know why Granados came into the church and pushed her, but he did. Several witnesses told Joliet police they saw it happen. Witnesses said they had to hold Granados back, however, they backed up because Granados had threatened them, prosecutors noted.

The female victim told the officers that Granados has abused her on one other prior occasion, court documents state.