A Prairie Grove man charged with kidnapping and battering a woman in a truck while armed with a gun has been sentenced to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty, authorities said.
Nicholas Cammarata, 46, of Prairie Grove, pleaded guilty to the felony offense of Unlawful Restraint and violating an Order of Protection before McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis on Friday, May 30, the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
Various additional charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint and domestic battery were dropped in exchange for the plea deal, court records show.
On September 10, 2024, Cammarata pushed the victim, his girlfriend, to the ground, causing pain to her back, forced her into his truck against her will, and drove into Lake County, state’s attorney’s officials said.
Once Cammarata stopped the truck, the victim was able to escape and contact the authorities, state’s attorney officials said in a news release.
State’s attorney officials said the victim obtained an Order of Protection against Cammarata, which he violated by texting her in the middle of the night.
A grand jury indictment said Cammarata used force or threat of imminent force when he carried a woman from one place to another in Prairie Grove.
Cammarata intended to secretly confine the woman against her will, the indictment said.
The indictment said Cammarata threatened the woman to get into a truck and remain there while he drove the vehicle and was armed with a firearm.
Cammarata also allegedly pushed the victim out of a trailer, causing her to fall two feet and suffer a bruised tailbone.
The indictment said Cammarata additionally grabbed the victim by her neck while pushing her.
Cammarata was arrested by the Prairie Grove Police Department seven days after the incident, but was only initially charged with two counts of misdemeanor domestic battery.
That misdemeanor case was dismissed after a McHenry County Grand Jury upgraded it to felony charges in December of 2024.
The most serious charge, aggravated kidnapping, was a Class X felony, which typically carries up to 30 years in prison.