Man Hit Brother's Girlfriend With Hammer, Lit House On Fire: Cops

JOLIET, IL — A Shorewood man was charged with aggravated battery and arson after allegedly attacking his brother's girlfriend with a hammer and lighting her Joliet home on fire, according to police.

Timothy S. Gregory, 36, of the 900 block of South Raven Road, was arrested Saturday after police arrived to find him standing in the woman's driveway in the 1000 block of Infantry Drive with blood on his shirt, according to the Daily Southtown.

Police said Gregory struck the woman in the head several times with a hammer and allegedly used lighter fluid to start the blaze, authorities told the Southtown.

A good Samaritan was passing the house just after 2 p.m. Saturday and stopped to help the woman, according to CBS Chicago. Ryan Flannery said he stopped when he saw the woman, who was covered in blood and screaming, "He tried to kill me." He said the woman told him Gregory hit her with a hammer, poured gasoline on her and set her on fire.

According to Flannery, he threatened Gregory, who briefly went back into the house, and when he came out, "the whole house just lit up on fire." A teenager also reportedly stopped to help and dialed 911.

The woman suffered head injuries in the attack and was taken to Presence St. Joseph Medical Center, where she was placed into a medically induced coma, police said. Her boyfriend was not home at the time of the attack, the Southtown reported.

Gregory is due in Will County court on Monday afternoon.

Timothy Gregory/Will County Sheriff's Office