Crystal Lake man accused of beating and strangling woman gets four years in prison as part of plea deal – Shaw Local

A Crystal Lake man pleaded guilty Wednesday to strangling a woman and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Nathaniel Chapwesk, 30, pleaded guilty to aggravated domestic violence, a Class 2 felony, in exchange for other charges being dropped, including another count of aggravated domestic violence and false imprisonment, as well as misdemeanor counts of domestic violence, unauthorized interference with the report of domestic violence and domestic violence bail violation, according to the indictment filed in McHenry County court.

According to the documents, two other pending domestic violence cases against the same woman were also dismissed.

Chapwesk must serve 85% of his sentence, after which he must spend four years of supervised release. He will receive credit for 406 days in county jail, plus an additional 203 days — half a day for each day he worked or attended classes, according to court records and Assistant Public Defender Kyle Kunz.

Judge Mark Gerhardt concluded that the crime was due to the use or abuse of drugs or alcohol, or both. The ruling includes a recommendation to the Illinois Department of Corrections that Chapwesk undergo treatment while in prison.

Charges were first filed against Chapwesk on June 17, 2023, after a woman he knew went to his home to pick up her belongings and Chapwesk allegedly told her she was not leaving, authorities said. When she tried to leave, he allegedly “grabbed her by the arm, threw her to the ground and slammed her against a laundry basket.” When she began to cry, Chapwesk allegedly “told her to shut up” and if “she didn't shut up, he was going to beat her up,” according to court testimony from Assistant State's Attorney Maria Marek at a detention hearing.

When the woman tried to leave again, he allegedly grabbed her again and threw her to the ground, punched her and tried to strangle her several times, authorities said. The woman said he yelled and cursed at her and told her “if she doesn't shut up, he's going to beat her up.” [expletive] out of her,'” the testimony said. At one point when he strangled her, she said her “vision went dark and she started seeing stars, so she faked a fainting spell to get him to stop,” the court testimony said.

Authorities said Chapwesk got off the woman and asked, “Are you dead, brother?” As he walked away, she grabbed her phone, called her mother and fled his apartment. He chased her to her car and tried to stop her from closing the door while continuing to yell at her, according to testimony.

Another incident occurred on July 5, 2023, when he hit, slapped and choked her, according to authorities. She tried to call police but then quickly hung up, and Chapwesk allegedly threw her phone across the room, according to testimony. A dispatcher tried to call back, but no one answered the phone. Chapwesk allegedly told the woman to go into the closet because police were coming and to call her mother and say she was OK. He then allegedly blocked the closet door.

When police arrived, there was no answer at the door and they entered the building through a sliding door. Chapwesk was sitting on the floor and officers found the woman “crouched” in a closet. While police “escorted [Chapwesk] According to witness testimony, he repeatedly told her “not to say anything” when she was “away from the apartment”.

According to testimony, Chapwesk was facing domestic violence charges against the same woman during both of these alleged attacks and was under a restraining order.

At the hearing where Kunz argued Chapwesk should be released on conditions before trial, Kunz said Chapwesk denied choking the woman. Kunz said at the time there were no corroborating witnesses or pictures of her alleged injuries. He argued that if Chapwesk were released, there would be conditions to protect the alleged victim, such as GPS monitoring.

Regardless, now-retired Judge James Cowlin Marek agreed that Chapwesk posed “a real and present threat” to the woman, and he was arrested. And although he was ordered not to have contact with the woman, prosecutors say Chapwesk made 346 phone calls to her from prison between November 2023 and June 25, according to a motion to revoke his prison calling privileges.

On Wednesday, Gerhardt lifted these telephone restrictions.