Plainfield Man Accused Of Strangling Woman Wins Pretrial Release

JOLIET, IL — Efforts by the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow to keep felony domestic violence defendant Mark Maroncelli in the Will County Jail have proven unsuccessful as Judge Raymond Nash ordered the 49-year-old Plainfield-area man released from custody while awaiting trial.

Maroncelli was arrested by Joliet police on Friday night, and over the weekend, Will County's prosecutors charged Maroncelli with aggravated domestic battery and two counts of domestic battery. By Sunday afternoon, Maroncelli was leaving the Will County Jail, thanks to Judge Nash's decision.

According to the prosecutor's petition to deny pretrial release, Joliet police responded to the home in the 2000 block of Winding Lakes Drive for a domestic battery. Maroncelli told Joliet police he was intoxicated and he got into an argument with people. "Defendant indicated that he is going through a divorce and was packing up boxes. He stated nothing physical happened," court documents show.

Joliet police spoke with other people at the home, and one of them indicated he got into a scuffle with Maroncelli after Maroncelli showed up intoxicated. "Defendant threw his keys into a bush after calling the police. When (one of the victims) went to retrieve the keys, the defendant pushed him to the ground," prosecutors outlined. Joliet police arrived at the call, but did not make any arrests at the time. Instead, the officers provided a domestic violence packet for the one of the boys and left.

Then, around 3:45 p.m., Joliet police were back at the Maroncelli house for the second time, for another domestic battery report. "The caller started that the defendant strangled (a woman)" and attacked another person.

The Joliet police found a red mark on the woman's throat, and one of the people inside the home furnished Joliet police with a video of an argument with Maroncelli at the doorway to a bedroom. "The end of the video shows Mark lunging towards both" people, prosecutors noted.

Both people "related that at that point the defendant grabbed (the woman) by her throat, causing difficulty breathing," prosecutors indicated. One person "then pulled out a small pocket knife to defend himself, and the defendant pushed (him) into a mirror. Defendant then related that he was the one attacked by (the victim) and the (other male) and he, the defendant, was defending himself."

The prosecution's motion ending by stating, "the people pray that this honorable court deny the defendant pretrial release."

Judge Nash rejected the arguments put forth by the state's attorneys. He informed Maroncelli that he would be issuing an order for his release. The document informs the 49-year-old man that he must stay away from the house on Winding Lakes Drive, and he must stay away from both people he is accused of harming.

The judge's order for electronic monitoring also noted that "defendant may only retrieve items from the residence at .... Winding Lakes Drive, Plainfield, with a police escort one time."

Maroncelli's next appearance at the Will County Courthouse is set for Dec. 18 in Courtroom 405 of Judge Dave Carlson.