Man accused of holding woman against her will with shotgun

Prosecutors say a 29-year-old man with addresses in Aurora and Marengo held a woman against her will with a shotgun Friday in his trailer, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County.

Stephen A. Dracousis is charged with aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping, aggravated domestic battery, aggravated restraint, possession of a firearm with a revoked Firearm Owners Identification card and violating pretrial release conditions. Aggravated kidnapping is a Class X felony that can carry a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

Dracousis, whose Aurora address is in the 300 block of Old Indian Trail, is accused of confining a woman in a trailer Friday at the Lehman’s Lakeside RV Resort in Marengo while armed with a shotgun, according to court documents. He choked the woman until she could not breathe, coughed and vomited, Assistant McHenry County State’s Attorney Anthony Marin said.

Dracousis also threatened to use the shotgun on the woman and himself, placing the gun to her head and the barrel inside his mouth, authorities say. The woman was taken to the hospital and had bruises on her chest, Marin said.

Kane County records show Dracousis was found guilty of battery and disorderly conduct in separate cases in 2022 and possession of ammunition without a FOID card in 2020.

Marin requested a judge deny Dracousis pretrial release because he is a “real and present threat to the safety” of the victim, according to court documents. Dracousis appeared in court for an initial hearing Saturday, where Judge Cynthia Lamb approved the request to deny pretrial release.

McHenry County Public Defender Kim Messer said the initial police reports had “discrepancies” and the guns belonged to the woman.

Dracousis is set to return to court Wednesday.