Pekin man arrested for domestic battery, strangulation, interference

John Connell, 57, Pekin, was arrested after a woman said he choked her out just before midnight on Sunday, Oct. 20.

Deputies Paul Ginkins and Matt Hein were dispatched to the home on Daily Road in Pekin and spoke with the woman who called to report the incident. Hein stayed outside with her while Ginkins said he went to talk with Connell.

Ginkins said he noticed Connell was bleeding from the right corner of his lip, but Connell denied bleeding. Ginkins’ report said Connell initially told him he and the woman were in a verbal argument only over the temperature in the bedroom and her being on her phone.

By that time, EMS arrived to check on the woman and Ginkins went to speak with her in the ambulance.

She told Ginkins Connell got out of bed to use the restroom and complained about the temperature in the bedroom and her being on her phone. She said the argument continued as Connell got back in bed, his back toward her. She then claimed Connell turned and elbowed her in the throat, so she hit him back. She said Connell told her to get her stuff and leave.

When she got out of bed and stepped into the closet to get some of her belongings, she picked up a pair of Connell’s pants to get her car keys. That’s when she said Connell grabbed the pants from her hands and pulled her toward him and the both fell on the bed. She said she fell with her head toward Connell’s legs and “he put his legs around her neck squeezing her throat, and put his thumbs under her chin, pushing her head back, asking her if she was done.”

She said she answered yes and Connell let her get up. She told Ginkins she grabbed her phone and called 911, but only has wifi calling on her phone due to bad service in the area. She went outside and while she was calling, she said, Connell unplugged the wireless router. She told Ginkins she went back in the house to pack some of her belongings while waiting on help.

Ginkins went back inside and arrested Connell for domestic battery. Ginkins said as they were walking him to Hein’s patrol car, Connell said he wanted to tell them what happened.

He claimed they had been arguing about the temperature in the bedroom and things “got a little physical” and they began to fight over keys that were in the pair of pants the woman was holding. Connell said they did end up on the bed and he did put his legs around the woman’s neck “until she calmed down,” and then the woman went ouside, yelling and screaming. He added he “might have unplugged the wireless router” while she was on the phone with police.

Connell was booked into the Washington County Jail and preliminarily charged with domestic battery, strangulation and interfering with a crime.