A convicted felon was arrested after prosecutors say he battered his wife multiple times despite hundreds of people present at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee before security intervened.
The Gurnee Police Department responded on August 8 to Six Flags Great America, 1 Great America Parkway in Gurnee, for a report of a domestic battery.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Windmoeller said officers arrived and found Timothy Baldridge Jr., 44, of Memphis, Tennessee, belligerent and yelling at his wife.
Six Flags security had already separated the pair but Baldridge continued to act out, Windmoeller said.
Officers attempted to speak with the victim about what happened and Baldridge tried to follow them.
Officers had to order him to stay back. The victim told police she is likely going to divorce Baldridge and said that the two were in the water park earlier, Windmoeller said.
Baldridge became “enraged” and grabbed the victim by the hand, Windmoeller said.
The two were later in the parking lot by a fence near the Superman ride when Baldridge forcefully grabbed a towel that was around the woman’s neck and pulled it towards him, Windmoeller said.
Windmoeller said Baldridge grabbed the victim’s hand again and then later snatched her fanny pack and threw it at her, striking her in the body.
The incidents were captured on surveillance video and an employee of the park had also witnessed Baldridge forcefully grabbing the victim’s upper body earlier.
Two additional witnesses reported seeing Baldridge battering the victim, Windmoeller said.
Baldridge was uncooperative and initially told officers that nothing happened but then changed his story and said that the couple was arguing all day and it was not physical, Windmoeller said.
He was arrested and charged with one count of domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor.
“The Court should note that as to the factors for dangerousness this is a crime of violence. The Defendant struck the Victim in public, in full sight of multiple Witnesses. That type of action raises questions as to what the Defendant is willing to do in private,” Windmoeller said.
“Given the Defendant’s extensive violent criminal history and lack of ties to Lake County, there are no conditions or combinations of conditions this Court could impose that the Defendant is likely to follow or that would sufficiently mitigate the threat he poses to the Victim,” the prosecutor added.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Baldridge pending trial.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Garrett Miller said during a detention hearing that Baldridge has previously been convicted of robbery and possession of a firearm in the early 2000s.
He also has prior charges around that time for aggravated kidnapping and spent time in prison.
Miller said Baldridge was not deterred from committing the domestic battery in public despite “hundreds of people” being at Six Flags.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim denied the petition to detain during the detention hearing.
Nerheim said he disagreed with prosecutors, noting that Baldridge’s criminal history is from over 20 years ago, with the exception of a recent driving while license suspended.
Baldridge was placed on Level 2 pre-trial supervised release and ordered to have no contact with the victim or her residence and not possess any dangerous weapons.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday for an arraignment hearing.