A Holiday Hills man allegedly threatened his female neighbors by saying he would chop them up as he held an ax and a chainsaw, court records show.
John H. White, 57, of Holiday Hills, was charged with violating a stalking no-contact order and two counts of disorderly conduct.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges White violated a stalking no-contact order by having in-person contact with the female petitioner around 7 a.m. last Thursday.
White alarmed and disturbed the woman by making threatening comments to her, the complaint said.
The complaint said White threatened the woman and her family while he held an ax and a chainsaw.
Court documents said White yelled at the woman, who is his neighbor, that he would chop them up with an ax.
The incident, which happened in the 2500 block of Driftwood Drive in Holiday Hills, occurred just three days after he was served with the stalking no-contact order issued by a judge.
A second woman and her toddler were also threatened, the complaint said.
White made threats of violence toward them while approaching the two, the complaint said.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain White pending trial, calling him a real and present threat to the safety of the community.
McHenry County Judge Carl Metz granted the petition and remanded White to the McHenry County Jail.
The judge said he was disturbed by the threats, in combination with the two weapons, made to two different sets of neighbors.
“The Court finds that no conditions could mitigate the risk of the defendant poses of carrying out the threats he made to the victims,” Metz said.
A petition for the order of protection filed by the first family said that White has threatened them on multiple occasions.
He made reference to cutting off the male petitioner’s head, rearranging his face, cutting him up with a chainsaw and wrapping an extension cord around his neck.
The petitioner also said that White has threatened his family with an ax and told them that he has it “sharpened just for me.”
The second victim in the criminal case has since also obtained an order of protection against White.
She said in her petition that the incident last Thursday began when she went to her car with her toddler to drive to daycare.
“Within 15 seconds of being in my driveway John started yelling at me out the window of his house,” the woman said.
White exited his house and began starting his chainsaw, the woman said, adding that he picked up an ax and chopped wood while yelling.
“John held his axe while standing at the edge of his property facing me and amongst other things yelled, ‘Wait till I get a little blood on my hands and see what happens. I’ll chop you all up into a salad,'” the petitioner said.