Arlington Heights man sentenced for choking woman in 2013
An Arlington Heights man who pleaded guilty last month to choking a woman during an argument was sentenced to three years in prison Friday.
Cook County Judge Joel Greenblatt ordered Donald E. Stellato Jr., 39, to have no contact with the victim and granted her an order of protection through Dec. 5, 2023.
"I saw the photographs of what you did to this woman. You're lucky you didn't kill her," said Greenblatt, adding that after a "long career of illegal activities" Stellato was at last going to the penitentiary.
"It's time," Greenblatt said.
Prosecutors say Stellato, of the 1700 block of Northwest Highway, and the woman were arguing about 2 a.m. Sept. 22, 2013, when Stellato choked her. The woman broke free and drove away. During a subsequent traffic stop by Barrington police, she told them she had been the victim of a domestic battery, prosecutors said.
Stellato received credit for 21 days in custody. He must complete at least 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Greenblatt also prohibited Stellato from possessing a firearm or a Firearm Owners Identification card until the order of protection expires.
Stellato's criminal background includes a 2003 conviction for violating an order of protection, for which he was sentenced to two years' probation, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Shilpa Patel. He was sentenced to Cook County jail for a 2002 domestic battery conviction. And he received one year of supervision for violating an order of protection in 2001. Stellato also received seven months' supervision for telephone harassment in 1999 and two years supervision for a 1999 battery charge, Patel said.