Santa Claus Attacked At Hawk Auto, Joliet Police Make Arrest

JOLIET, IL — Joliet police arrested a 64-year-old Plainfield man last Friday night following an attack against a Hawk Auto Group employee dressed as Santa Claus at one of the West Jefferson Street auto dealerships, authorities said.

The incident unfolded around 7:25 p.m. at Hawk Auto Group, 2861 West Jefferson St. Peter Steinys, a former Plainfield Park District commissioner, was charged with battery and disorderly conduct.

"Officers determined that while inside of the car dealership, Steinys grew angry and began yelling at an employee," police spokesman Dwayne English said. "Steinys then pushed an employee with both hands and then approached another employee before being separated and escorted out by his family."

As officers investigated the incident at Hawk Auto, Steinys drove to the downtown Joliet police station, where he told officers "he had pushed an employee dressed as Santa after the employee had bumped into him with his Santa belly," according to police reports.

Steinys was taken into custody without any problems, and he was later released on an I-bond, according to police.

Steinys has been the focus of several Plainfield Patch stories over the past decade. In 2013, Patch published an article headlined, "Steinys Guilty in Battery Case." The article reported that Will County Judge Joseph Polito found the Plainfield Park District commissioner guilty of battery in an election-related spat.

Steinys, then 56, was accused of hitting a rival campaign volunteer with a car door, then grabbing him with both hands and attempting to punch him following a disagreement over campaign signs on the eve of the Nov. 6, 2012, election.