Des Plaines man sent to prison for 3 years

A 33-year-old man admitted he struck a woman after an argument last August at his Des Plaines home and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Janusz Owca pleaded guilty to aggravated domestic battery, a felony punishable by three to seven years in prison. Probation is also available.

Owca had been convicted of domestic violence in July 2010 and was sentenced to conditional discharge and 18 months' probation. His arrest for the attack on Aug. 22, 2010, violated that probation, police said.

On that day, he pulled the woman's hair and choked her, causing her to flee along with children, Cook County sheriff's police said. Officers arriving at the scene found Owca in a “fighting stance” but were able to subdue him, authorities said.

Owca received credit for the 328 days he had spent in custody since his arrest. He was ordered to pay $785 in fines.