Prosecutor: Wilmington woman survives strangulation, Essex man arrested

WILMINGTON — The Will County District Attorney's Office under Jim Glasgow was able to convince Judge Donald DeWilkins to keep the twice-convicted domestic abuser in custody. Carl Ellis in the Will County Jail in connection with the attempted strangulation of a woman in Wilmington last weekend.

Prosecutors at the Will County Courthouse charged Ellis, now 31, with aggravated domestic violence and four counts of domestic violence. Court records show Ellis was previously convicted of domestic violence in Will County in 2017 and domestic violence in Grundy County in 2016.

The Will County Sheriff's Office was responsible for investigating last weekend's crime and arresting Ellis.

According to the prosecutor's motion to deny Ellis pretrial release, sheriff's deputies were called to the 19000 block of West Goodwin Road in Wilmington for a domestic problem. The caller was Ellis. “However, he was uncooperative on the phone,” prosecutors told the judge.

When officers arrived at the house, they saw a woman walking away. She told them Ellis came home from work and attacked her. She said he punched her in the face and choked her, but she did not completely lose the ability to breathe, court records show.

The woman had a red mark and small cuts on her cheek and red marks on her neck, prosecutors said. She refused medical treatment. As for Ellis, officials said he told sheriffs the woman wanted to drive to Joliet to buy drugs and he said no, after which they argued and fought.

Ellis claimed she pulled his hair and he then punched her in the face. “The defendant's statement did not include any explanation as to how she got hold of his hair from the passenger seat while he was standing outside the car,” prosecutors said. “When asked if she wanted to press charges, she simply said no, she just wanted to get away.”

Eventually, sheriff's officers ordered Ellis to step down from the porch on Goodwin Road, but he refused and attempted to enter the house, prosecutors noted. “The defendant resisted and resisted arrest, but was arrested.”

In addition to his two previous convictions for domestic violence in 2017 and 2016, “the defendant admitted to selling mushrooms and acid in 23CF1422,” prosecutors stressed.

Jail records show Ellis remained in the Will County Jail as of Friday afternoon, where he was held for 60 days from November 15 to January 15, according to jail records.