Joliet Motel 6 Lot Attack: Defendant Surrenders, Posts Bail

JOLIET, IL — A 29-year-old Crest Hill man wanted by Joliet police in connection with a parking lot attack against a woman at the Motel 6 along Mall Loop Drive has surrendered, posted bail and retained criminal defense lawyer Neil Patel from the downtown Joliet law firm of Bretz, Flynn & Associates, court records show.

Axel Steven Morales was booked into the Will County Jail at 11 a.m. on Jan. 29 and freed around 5:30 p.m. after posting 10 percent of his $100,000 bail, jail records show.

Will County prosecutors have charged Morales with aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery and two counts of domestic battery.

Morales is accusing of attacking a 31-year-old Joliet woman he knew.

A Will County judge has granted the victim an order of protection to keep Morales away from her in light of the incident at the Motel 6 from Jan. 10.

"At the Motel 6 on Mall Loop Drive, Axel Morales stalked me, found me, disabled my car, he punched me in my face and jaw, he choked me and stole my phone," the woman wrote Will County's judges.

She also stated that "Axel has been sending threats saying he wants to end my life and I hear him circling my house. I have one of the threatening messages with me today."

The woman notified the judge that Joliet Police Detective Ryan Myers obtained a warrant for Morales' arrest and the detective urged her to get an order of protection to keep Morales away from her.

Morales resides in the 1700 block of Crest Hill's Heiden Avenue, jail logs show.