An Ingleside man, who has an extensive criminal history, allegedly strangled and injured a woman after she asked to get off the man’s boat on Columbia Bay near Fox Lake, police said.
Douglas J. Johnson, 41, of the 34700 block of North Decorah Avenue in Ingleside, was charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, aggravated domestic battery, unlawful restraint and two counts of domestic battery.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office 911 telecommunicators received a 911 call around 9:20 p.m. on September 5 where arguing was heard in the background, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.
Dispatchers were able to track that 911 call to Columbia Bay just off of Fox Lake.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area by boat and located a single boat in the water.
They approached the boat and a 40-year-old woman ran from the cabin area underneath the boat to the open deck.
The woman was crying and injured, Covelli said.
A further investigation revealed the woman was on the boat with Johnson, who is an acquaintance.
The woman had told Johnson that she wished to go back to shore so she could return to her family, Covelli said.
This “enraged” Johnson and he elbowed the woman in the nose and strangled her with his hands, Covelli said.
Johnson was arrested on the boat and transported to shore by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Johnson held on a $500,000 bond.
Potkonjak noted during a bond hearing that Johnson has many prior domestic battery cases.
Potkonjak said that Johnson recently completed probation for a domestic battery case involving the same victim as his most recent case.
The judge called Johnson a “serial domestic batterer.”
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 29.