Victim Says Cousin Pepper Sprayed 1-Year-Old Child: Police

A 28-year-old Joliet woman has been charged with aggravated battery to a child after releasing pepper spray in a room a 1-year-old child was in.

According to Joliet Police Department Captain Jeff Allbert, Dominique T. Clerk went into her cousin’s apartment in the 800 block of Cardinal Lane and started arguing with her.

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The cousin said Clerk had taken pepper spray out and sprayed her and her 1-year-old child, Allbert said. The cousin then allegedly took out her own pepper spray and used it on Clerk.

“She ended up spraying the stuff in the same room the child was in, and according to the victim, she alleged that the child was pepper sprayed, but the child didn’t seem like there was anything wrong from the pepper spray,” Allbert said.

A fight involving wrestling ensued and both Clerk and the cousin ended up outside. Clerk’s sister then began hitting the cousin on the back of the neck with her cane.

Clerk and her sister then fled the scene and the cousin called police.

Police ended up locating Clerk and arrested her. They were unable to locate her sister and are still looking for her.

The Joliet Fire Department treated Clerk for injuries stemming from the pepper spray and also treated the 1 year old and the victim for pepper spray injuries, but neither one of them went to the hospital.

Clerk has been charged with aggravated battery to a child, criminal trespass to property and domestic battery. She remains lodged in the Will County Adult Detention Facility.