Joliet Man Knocked Out Woman's Tooth During Parking Lot Attack: Prosecutors

JOLIET, IL — There are fewer empty beds inside the Will County Jail in 2026 as Will County Judge Chrystel Gavlin continues to order more people accused of perpetrating violence to be detained under the SAFE-T-Act. Michael O. Ortiz, 34, who comes from the 400 block of Joliet's Landau Avenue became the latest person to lose his SAFE-T-Act detention hearing before the new judge assigned to Courtroom 202. She replaced Derek Ewanic, who took a different judicial assignment for 2026.

This week, the Will County State's Attorney's Office charged Ortiz with two crimes of aggravated battery and two crimes of domestic battery. Crest Hill police arrested him last weekend. The criminal complaint indicates that Ortiz, on Feb. 1, struck the woman in the head and grabbed her around the neck and that he has a prior domestic battery conviction in Will County from 2024.

According to the petition to deny Ortiz pretrial release, Crest Hill's officers responded to the Food 4 Less parking lot at 1701 North Larkin Avenue where they saw Ortiz standing in front of his car. He had a clenched fist with an aggressive posture, court records indicate.

The officers saw blood on Ortiz's pinky finger. As for the victim, she advised Crest Hill police that she was driving to the Food 4 Less and an argument ensued with Ortiz. He then started to punch the car and then opened the car door to jump out, prosecutors noted.

The woman pulled over near the Nissan dealership on Joliet's Larkin Avenue. Then, she continued driving to the Food 4 Less, and that's when Ortiz hit her and her upper teeth, court records noted. The officers saw blood inside her mouth near her upper teeth. She told them that Ortiz grabbed her by her face and pulled her toward him and that's when he hit her. The victim showed the officers a piece of her tooth from when Ortiz hit her, the petition informed Judge Gavlin.

The woman informed the officers from Crest Hill that she bit Ortiz on the finger, and he was choking her while doing this. Officers on the scene also heard Ortiz tell to arrest him, court documents advised. The officers noticed the smell of alcohol coming from Ortiz's breath.