Zion man charged with domestic battery, attempted murder

A Zion man faces attempted murder charges after authorities say he strangled a woman with his hands, wrapped a belt around her neck and attempted to flee.

Michael Coleman, 47, of the 9700 block of 17th Street, is also charged with domestic battery/strangulation, according to a Lake County Sheriff’s Department spokesman.

About 2:40 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, sheriff’s deputies received a report that a woman was being battered in a Beach Park residence.

Deputies arrived and encountered Coleman leaving the home, authorities said. While an officer spoke to him, other officers entered the home. They found a 34-year-old woman unconscious, with labored breathing. While deputies performed CPR on her, another officer arrested Coleman.

CPR efforts restored the woman’s pulse and Beach Park Fire and Rescue transported her to a hospital, where she remains in critical condition, according to the spokesman.

Detectives believe Coleman went to the woman’s home to talk with her. Their conversation turned heated and “Coleman became enraged,” the spokesman said.

“The actions of our deputies on this scene were nothing short of heroic and lifesaving,” said Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg in a prepared statement. “They acted quickly to stop a fleeing suspect, render emergency medical aid and stabilize a critically injured victim under extremely stressful conditions.”

Coleman is in custody pending a detention hearing before a Lake County judge.