03 June 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chief Weitzel tweitzel@riverside.il.us 708.447.2127 - Follow RPD on Twitter @pdriverside

Riverside Police Arrest Man for Aggravated Domestic Battery by Strangulation

Victim pepper sprays offender
On Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 10:10 p.m., the Riverside Police Department received a 911 call reporting a disturbance
in the building in the 3100 block of South Harlem Avenue. While the officers were en route to the scene, they were
notified and updated by the dispatcher that there was a male subject in front of that building screaming that he had
been pepper sprayed. When the first officer arrived, he did locate this subject who had been peppered sprayed in the
foyer of the apartment building. He had been peppered sprayed by his girlfriend, who through investigation, was found
to be the victim in this case. Paramedics were contacted to respond to the scene for the male subject with an eye
injury.
When officers entered an apartment located within the building, they found a female who was visibly upset and crying
hysterically. She had stated to officers that she was battered severely and that her boyfriend attempted on two
separate occasions to strangle her. Officers could immediately observe that the female victim was in need of medical
attention and summoned the paramedics to the apartment to render aid.
Once the male offender was treated by paramedics, he was immediately taken into custody by the Riverside Police.
The domestic-battery victim was treated by Riverside Paramedics but she refused transportation to the hospital. The
offender was transported to the police department for further investigation.
During the course of the investigation, it was learned that the offender, Willie J. Stroger, had suspected his girlfriend
was cheating on him and confronted her. He became very upset and struck her several times in the face and grabbed
her by her throat with both his hands and attempted to strangle her while pushing her onto a bed located within the
apartment. This incident took place on two separate occasions before the victim was able to break free and pepper
spray the offender in order to keep him from continuing to attack her. Police were then contacted via 911.
Riverside Police charged the offender, Willie J. Stroger, 37 of the 3100 block of South Harlem in Riverside with
one count of aggravated felony domestic battery by strangulation, a Class 2 felony.
Mr. Stroger's criminal background included convictions for assault, dangerous drugs, sexual assault and obstruction of
justice. Mr. Stroger was convicted in a Chicago arrest for aggravated criminal sexual assault in November 1993. In
that case, Mr. Stroger was sentenced to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

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RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT
31 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL 60546