JOLIET, IL — For the fourth time since 2019, 24-year-old Joliet resident Zackary Gregory is lodged in the Will County Jail. This week, Gregory attacked a young woman in the parking lot of Sidelines Sports Bar, 2006 West Jefferson Street, Will County prosecutors outlined.
Early Tuesday morning, Joliet police put Gregory into the back of their squad car, and Will County prosecutors have since charged Gregory with aggravated battery, two counts of domestic battery and violating the conditions of his pretrial release.
Gregory was arrested by Joliet police last April 29, 2023, charged with domestic battery against the same woman that he hurt during this week’s attack at Sidelines, prosecutors noted.
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Will County Judge Donald DeWilkins determined that Gregory, who comes from the 600 block of Delaware Place, meets the dangerousness standard set out in the SAFE-T-Act and therefore Gregory must stay in Will County’s Jail for an indefinite amount of time, waiting for his trial.
According to the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office successful petition to deny pretrial release for Gregory, the following events led to the young Joliet man’s arrest this week in the Marycrest Shopping Center:
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At 1:13 a.m. Tuesday, Joliet police arrived at Sidelines Sports Bar after a woman relayed that she was punched by a man who was still banging on her windshield with both fists.
Joliet police found the woman visibly distraught and crying, and she had a fresh bruise, 5 inches long, on the left side of her cheek.
She told Joliet police that she and Gregory were both inside her car in the parking lot of Sidelines when they started arguing about Gregory being drunk.
Prosecutors noted that Gregory punched her with a closed fist on the left side of her cheek and then stepped out of her car and walked to the driver’s side as their argument intensified. He clenched his fists and began hitting her windshield.
She eventually hit the gas pedal and drove away from her attacker.
When asked if she wanted to press criminal charges, the woman told Joliet police yes. She also told the officers that Gregory has hit in the past, “but that he only does it when he’s been drinking,” the petition reflected.
The woman told Joliet police she and Gregory are staying at the Baymont Hotel in Joliet.
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Joliet police officers were familiar with Gregory since they arrested him nine months ago.
At the time of this week’s overnight arrest, Gregory told Joliet police he got into an argument with her because she started asking him about another woman. She took his phone and refused to return it and when he stepped out of her car, she accelerated quickly, clipping Gregory’s leg, he told Joliet police.
He claimed that she drove past him on Hammes Street and tried to run him over at 30 mph, but Gregory avoided her car.
Joliet police indicated they found no bruises on Gregory “from being clipped by the vehicle,” and he told them he wanted to press charges against her for striking him with her car.
“Defendant advised (the victim) has bruises all over her body from unrelated past incidents and denied hitting (her) at all,” the prosecutor’s petition informed Judge DeWilkins.
Prior to the SAFE-T-Act taking effect, Gregory was free on bond in connection with his April 29, 2023, arrest by Joliet police on domestic battery charges, and Gregory was supposed to have no contact with the victim, this week’s petition to deny his release showed.
“The People submit that the defendant’s pretrial release poses a real and present danger to the safety of the named victims in this case … as well as the community in general,” argued Assistant State’s Attorney Charlene Recio.
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