Man Charged with Stalking His Ex, Police Say

A Joliet man who allegedly confronted his ex-girlfriend at Hollywood Casino Tuesday and stole her cell phone was charged with stalking and theft, Joliet Police Cmdr. Al Roechner said.

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Lennie A. Williams, 34, was arrested early Tuesday morning after getting into a fight with the 22-year-old woman, with whom he as a son, and then fleeing the casino when security guards attempted to intervene, Roechner said.

The woman took out an order of protection against Williams in April after she observed him following her and stopping in front of her house, Roechner said. On Tuesday night, he sat next to her when she was playing slots at the casino and started whispering in her ear, he said.

When the woman told him to leave and tried to get help, Williams grabbed her phone and ran.

Police took him into custody near his 411 Oneida home, and he admitted to getting into an altercation with his ex-girlfriend, taking her phone and repeatedly driving near her home, blaming his behavior on the woman's refusal to allow him to see their son, Roechner said. He said he left the cell phone in the victim's mailbox, which is where police retrieved it.

Williams also told officers he was not aware of the order of protection so they provided him with a copy.

Williams was booked into the Will County jail, and freed on $4,000 bond. According to jail records, he's been arrested on domestic battery charges three times since 2009.