Man convicted of attacking his brother-in-law with knife at Delnor
A Campton Hills man faces at least six years in prison after his conviction Thursday for attacking his brother-in-law and wielding a knife at Delnor Hospital, causing a lockdown at the Geneva facility before his capture in Indiana.
Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler convicted Justin B. Patzer, 31, of all seven charges, including aggravated domestic battery, aggravated assault and the most severe charge of armed violence.
That felony carries a six- to 30-year prison term with no chance of probation. Patzer, who had a lengthy criminal history before the Jan. 27, 2015, attack, will be sentenced on July 8.
During the two-day bench trial, prosecutors argued that Patzer got into an argument with his brother-in-law, Jason Weller, over a social media messaging app after Weller was critical of Patzer's mother's decision to have repairs made to her vehicle.
Kane County Assistant State's Attorney David Belshan argued that Patzer intended to harm Weller after the family gathered in the intensive care unit at Delnor for an ailing relative.
"This defendant was on a mission. He had a purpose, and that was to attack Jason Weller," Belshan said. "He grabbed him by the neck, pinned him on the wall and choked him."
Weller pushed back on Patzer's chest with his leg, and relatives separated the two. Weller went into the hall and Patzer pulled out a folding knife, holding it in his raised fist with the blade pointed down while relatives scrambled.
Patzer ran off, and the facility was locked down.
Assistant Public Defender Julie Yetter conceded that Patzer committed some crimes at Delnor that day. But she argued Patzer was not guilty of armed violence - committing a felony while armed with a dangerous weapon - because witnesses testified that they "guessed" or "estimated" the knife had a 3-inch blade.
"Justin was trying to get away. He was not chasing Jason with the knife," said Yetter, adding that no one was stabbed and Weller said he was not injured in the altercation.