Police: Carpentersville man beat woman with hammer
A 27-year-old Carpentersville man has been accused of nearly killing a woman by beating her with a hammer, of sexually assaulting her 8-year-old daughter and of stabbing the woman's dog.
Thursday morning, a judge set bail at $3 million for Daniel J. Happ of the 1600 block of Seminole Drive. That means he'll need to post $300,000 in cash before he can leave the Kane County jail.
On Tuesday at 12:53 a.m., police were called to a home in the 1200 block of Brookdale Drive for a disturbance, Cmdr. Timothy Bosshart said.
Police checked the home to find a 23-year-old woman unconscious from being hit repeatedly in the head with a hammer, the girl and the injured dog, Bosshart said. Charging documents said Happ threatened to beat the girl with the hammer as he sexually assaulted her.
It doesn't appear Happ forced his way into the home, police said.
“It's not a home invasion or anything like that,” Bosshart said. “I believe he had been invited in.”
The woman was taken to Sherman Hospital for treatment and was unable to tell police about what happened, Bosshart said.
Citing the ongoing investigation, Sherman spokeswoman Michelle Kustra would not release the woman's condition.
Police wouldn't disclose any other information about the girl other than to say she is now in a safe place. The dog was being treated by a local veterinarian and its condition also was unknown.
Court records show Happ has had several run-ins with the law.
In 2005, he was convicted of felony residential burglary in St. Charles and sentenced to 156 days in jail and 30 months of probation. He served 78 days.
Last June, a woman he was living with in Carpentersville got an emergency order of protection against him. It was dismissed June 16. Her attorney tried to have it reinstated but withdrew the motion in July.
Happ was taken to the Carpentersville jail on the fresh charges, where he was placed on suicide watch, Bosshart said.
Happ now faces charges of attempted murder, armed violence, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and one count of aggravated cruelty to animals.
He is scheduled to appear in court March 21 at the Kane County Judicial Center.
• Daily Herald staff writer Susan Sarkauskas contributed to this story