Joliet Man Jesus Banuelos-Vela Denied Pretrial Release After Violating Order of Protection, Police Say

A victim's plea and a second arrest

Jesus Banuelos-Vela, 31, is being held without pretrial release after Joliet police arrested him a second time in just two weeks for allegedly violating an order of protection and breaking the conditions of his pretrial release, according to court documents filed by the Will County State's Attorney's Office.

The case centers on a domestic battery incident that unfolded in an apartment in the 200 block of Ruby Street in Joliet. The victim, a woman with a 6-month-old child, told prosecutors she was trapped in a situation that escalated from threats to physical violence.

"He has made comments about knowing dangerous people in Mexico, in intimidating ways. Jesus also threatens with taking the baby away from me. Since following through with the physical abuse threats, I'm afraid of him following through with the other threats. I'm scared for my safety and the safety of our baby."

That quote comes from the victim's order of protection petition, as cited by Will County prosecutors.

The first arrest

Police were first called to the Ruby Street apartment on May 10 after the victim managed to send a distress message from the bathroom. Her sister contacted another family member, who then called Joliet police.

Officers arrived at the apartment and identified themselves, asking the woman to step out. The apartment went silent, according to prosecutors. Officers set up a perimeter after dispatchers relayed that Banuelos-Vela had a violent reputation.

After some time, the victim and her 6-month-old child emerged. The woman was transported to the hospital.

The victim told investigators that Banuelos-Vela had been drinking and using drugs. He accused her of tampering with his bank account, then slapped her twice across the face, according to the petition.

"He then got aggressive, by slapping me across the face. He was demanding I told him where the money was. I had no idea. In the past, he threatened me with physical harm but hadn't done it until this day. While he abused me, he stated he was going to put a bullet in me and the baby ... Jesus threatened with cutting me up like a pig while holding a pocketknife."

The victim also said she was forced into sexual contact out of fear that it would stop the physical abuse, according to the court filing.

On May 11, Will County Judge Victoria Kennison heard the evidence and granted the order of protection. Banuelos-Vela was released from jail after his initial arrest but was placed on electronic monitoring. The order required him to have no contact with the victim and to stay away from the Ruby Street address.

The second arrest

More than a week later, Joliet police were called back to the same apartment complex for a welfare check around 9:35 p.m. on May 22.

Officers learned that Banuelos-Vela had been circling the vehicle around 229 Ruby Street, inside the exclusion zone set by the order of protection. Officer Hundley spotted a 2008 silver Acura driving on North Hickory Street without a license plate. During the traffic stop, the driver was identified as Banuelos-Vela, prosecutors said.

After his second arrest, Banuelos-Vela admitted that he had contacted the victim days after being served with the order of protection, according to court documents. He also admitted to striking her in the face two times with an open hand.

"Defendant admitted to not reading the entire order of protection or his pretrial release conditions due to them being in English," court documents show. "He added that he was aware that he was not supposed to contact (the woman) but he could not help himself due to his daughter having medical issues."

The Will County State's Attorney's Office filed new charges of unlawful violation of an order of protection and violation of conditions of pretrial release. Banuelos-Vela is now being detained under the SAFE-T Act.

The Illinois State Police continue investigating the broader circumstances of the case, and no further details were immediately available.