Joliet Cop Who Beat Ex-Fiancee's Friend Now Up For Sergeant

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Police Officer Bob Mau Jr., who pleaded guilty in November 2011 to battery and lost a May 2016 civil lawsuit filed by his victim, resulting in garnished wages of $55,958 from Mau's city paychecks between 2016 and 2019, is up for a promotion to become a Joliet police sergeant next week.

The agenda for Monday's 5 p.m. meeting of Joliet's police and fire board in the second floor City Council Chambers has two officers up for a vote on their promotions. Sgt. Julie Larson is recommended for lieutenant, and Mau is recommended for sergeant, which would move him into a supervisor's role and raise his base salary about $8,000, plus boost his overtime pay.

Back in 2012, Mau agreed to serve a 120-day unpaid work suspension from the Joliet Police Department as part of a "last chance agreement" to remain a city police officer.

According to a memo from then-Joliet Police Commander Al Roechner, on Oct. 15, 2011, just before 1 a.m., Mau was off duty when he drove to Reardon Drive on Joliet's west side looking for his ex-fiancee. Mau found her inside her car with a Joliet man, and the two "were engaged in a kiss, causing Mau to react violently toward (the man)."

Afterward, the ex-fiancee told police that Mau, then 30, went to the passenger side, opened the door and began striking the man in the face, also calling her a derogatory name and saying, "how could you do this to me?"

She and Mau got engaged in October 2010 and set a wedding date for December 2011. However, she called off the wedding in March 2011 and gave him back her engagement ring that April, court documents reflect.

According to a Joliet sergeant's memo, in the incident on Reardon Drive, "Officer Mau struck (the victim) in the face numerous times with a closed fist. When (the victim) was on the ground, Officer Mau punched and kicked him in the face resulting in a broken nose, lacerations, contusions, swelling to his face. Officer Mau was subsequently arrested for Aggravated Battery."

Mau Considered Very Respectable Police Officer: Chief Evans

On Thursday, Joliet Patch reached out to the Joliet Police Department for comment about Mau's battery conviction and the civil lawsuit judgment that required Mau to pay almost $56,000 out of his paychecks as restitution for his victim.

According to Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans, who took over the department March 1, Mau received a life-saving citation in 2007, a department commendation in 2010 and several letters of appreciation, including letters of praise from Joliet citizens.

Evans noted that Mau is a certified crash reconstructionist, and he is considered one of the best in the area. Mau also received letters of appreciation from the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists in 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

"Bob Mau is a family man who made a mistake 12 years ago," Evans wrote Joliet Patch. "He was involved in an incident while off-duty. Since that time, Mau has been a very respectable police officer and an excellent employee.

"He was humiliated and punished for his role in the incident 12 years ago and paid substantially for the error in judgment, both financially and professionally. I am in no way condoning his actions of 12 years ago, but I do feel it is prudent to mention all the positive things this officer has done over the years."

Eleven years ago, the arrest affidavit for probable cause submitted by Joliet Police Officer John Ross did not check the box to indicate Mau's arrest was a misdemeanor crime. Rather, Ross checked the box for felony on Oct. 15, 2011.

Mau Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor

Will County court records dated Oct. 15, 2011, listed Mau charged with aggravated battery, receiving a $20,000 bail and being ordered by a Will County judge to stay away from his ex-fiancee and the man he attacked plus both of their Joliet addresses. Mau was ordered to surrender his guns to Joliet's Police Department by the judge.

If Mau were convicted of a felony, he would not be allowed to remain a police officer.

The following month, Special Prosecutor Dave Neal took the case over from the Will County State's Attorney's Office. By Nov. 23, 2011, under Neal's involvement, Mau was not prosecuted for aggravated battery.

Instead, the criminal complaint against Mau was for misdemeanor battery.

One week later, Mau pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor. He got sentenced to three months court supervision, issued a $500 fine and the judge also gave Mau one day in jail, but credited him with time already served, court records show.

Internal Affairs Investigates Reardon Drive Attack

On Dec. 9, 2011, a Joliet police sergeant informed the chief at the time that the internal affairs investigation sustained the allegations against Mau.

According to the sergeant's report from Dec. 18, 2011, the following events led up to Mau's arrest during the early morning hours of Oct. 15, 2011:

• Mau worked a shift of 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the downtown police station. He left work and drove to the Liquid Therapy bar on Route 6 between Joliet and Channahon, where he met a friend and had one or two beers. He then went to another bar, unknown name, near Interstate 55 and Route 6.
• Mau said he got a call from his ex-fiancee, who was out socializing with two men at Jameson's Pub and then at City of Champions sports bar.
• The ex-fiancee told Mau she would drop off one of the men at the man's house and meet up with Mau at Double J Sports Bar. Mau did not drive to Double J because he was suspicious of her story.
• Mau drove to the house on Reardon Drive where his ex-fiancee was supposed to drop the man off.
• Mau saw her red Ford Mustang pull into the man's driveway on Reardon Drive and park. He saw her kissing someone sitting in the passenger seat.

• Mau parked in the street and behind her car parked in the driveway. He approached her driver's side door and knocked on her window as she and the passenger continued kissing.
• Surprised to see him, Mau's ex-fiancee rolled down her window as Mau asked her, "How can you do this to me, you (derogatory name)?"
• When Mau opened the passenger door, he recognized the man in the car and "thought to himself, oh god, this guy is massive, and he got really scared."
• Mau remembered throwing the victim out of the car and the victim landing on his back.
• "Officer Mau felt (the man) on the ground lying on his back with his hands at his chest in a fist were a threat to him. Officer Mau says he got on top of (the victim) and punched him in the face until he could see the palms of (the victim's) hands."
• A neighbor saw Mau kneel to the left side of the victim, punch him repeatedly in the face and "Officer Mau said to (the victim) 'How could you do this? She is my girl.'"
• The victim later told Joliet police he was blindsided in the car and the next thing he remembered was being kicked in the face on the ground.
• Several of the neighbors saw and heard the disturbance outside and called 911.
• After two Joliet officers and Sgt. Joe Rosado arrived, Mau told Rosado, "I f***** up Joe."
• Officers found the victim, whose face was bleeding, in an upstairs bathroom at one of the homes. When the neighbor called for an ambulance, the victim was overheard by Joliet police yelling in the background, "What did I do? What the f*** did I do?"
• Mau's victim suffered a broken nose, swelling to his face, several loose teeth and a piece of skin tissue sticking out from his bottom lip. At St. Joe's hospital, he underwent surgery for his broken nose and was scheduling more surgery to repair two scars to his face. He was also treated for dizzy spells and headaches.
• Joliet police's internal affairs report made it a point to mention "the incident was reported by Chicago area news media."

Joliet Police Choose Not To Fire Mau

Joliet's police administration from 10 years ago did not terminate Mau. Instead, in January 2012, Mau signed a last-chance agreement. The document states in part:

"The Joliet Police Department has investigated the act of employee misconduct and adjudicated the complaint as sustained. During this investigation, Officer Mau was interviewed and an administrative pre-discipline hearing was held. The Joliet Police Department recommended that Officer Mau be terminated for this misconduct. In lieu of termination, Officer Mau has made a commitment to abide by the terms of this agreement. Officer Mau acknowledges that he engaged in conduct unbecoming a police officer ..."

At the Joliet Police Department, Mau is known as a legacy police officer. Joliet Patch has previously reported that Mau's father, Bob Mau Sr., had 34 years of service with the department, retiring in May 2009.

As for his son, Bob Mau Jr. agreed to serve a 120-calendar-day suspension with no accrual of vacation, sick or duty reduction time, but he would continue to gain seniority. Mau was allowed to spread his four-month-long suspension from Joliet's police force over a 12-month period.

"Mau agrees that any future complaints of misconduct involving excessive force or violent behavior or conduct unbecoming similar to the conduct in this case that is adjudicated sustained by the chief of police will be considered a violation of this agreement," Mau's last-chance agreement outlined.

Mau agreed to enter an anger management counseling program within 30 days of the agreement. He could use up to 152 hours in lieu of suspension time toward his off-duty participation in the program. Moreover, Mau agreed to abstain from alcohol for the next year.

The last chance agreement Mau signed would remain in effect for five years from when it was signed, Jan. 5. 2012.