October 26

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced Thursday that a Will County judge sentenced a Joliet man who firebombed a house and killed a mother and her 4-year-old daughter to life in prison.

A jury in August found Juan Santana, 28, of the 200 block of Illinois Street, Joliet, guilty on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated arson.

Santana threw a firebomb through a window of a house at 419 Madeline St. in Joliet’s St. Patrick’s Neighborhood in the early-morning hours of April 9, 2005. A fire spread quickly through the two-story house. Maria DeLourdes Nunez, 35, and her young daughter, Merary Nunez, died from smoke inhalation in an upstairs bedroom.

Firefighters found Nunez lying on top of Merary in what they believe was a desperate attempt to protect her daughter from the smoke and fire that engulfed the house after Santana and an alleged accomplice threw the firebomb through a first-floor window. Both Nunez and her daughter were dead by the time rescuers reached them.

Circuit Judge Richard Schoenstedt handed down the life sentence for the murder charges and 30 years for the arson charge.

Testimony during the six-day trial in August revealed that Santana firebombed the house because he believed one of Merary’s older brothers belonged to a rival gang. The brother, who was 14 at the time of the firebombing, testified he was a “pretend” gang member.

“Juan Santana crept up on a house under cover of night and lobbed a firebomb through a window,” Glasgow said. “This 28-year-old man planned a gutless act of retribution against a 14-year-old boy. Instead, his vicious act of violence claimed the lives of an innocent young mother and her daughter. The community can rest assured that this coward will spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Nunez’s two sons were sleeping in the house when Santana and an accomplice threw the firebomb. One of the brothers tried to put out what started as a small fire, but he abandoned his efforts as flames and smoke spread, according to testimony.

Witnesses for the state put Santana and another man, Ignacio Jacobo, 20, of Joliet, at the scene of the firebombing. Jacobo is awaiting trial on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated arson in connection with the firebombing.

One woman testified she saw two men running toward a white Jeep Cherokee with a red interior shortly after the house was firebombed. She memorized the license plate number and reported it to police, who traced the vehicle to its owner.

The owner of the Jeep testified during the trial that he had lent his vehicle to Santana, Jacobo and another man, Sergio Anguiano, 23, of Joliet, on the night of the firebombing. Anguiano, who testified for the prosecution, said he drove Santana and Jacobo to the scene. He testified he parked about a block away from the Nunez house but did not see the firebombing. Anguiano testified he did not know Santana and Jacobo intended to firebomb the house.

In exchange for his truthful testimony, Anguiano will be allowed to enter a blind plead of guilty to charges of aggravated arson. He faces up to 20 years in prison upon conviction.

Two of Glasgow’s top prosecutors, First Assistant State’s Attorney Greg DeBord and Criminal Division Chief Lea Norbut-Sicinski, presented the state’s evidence in the case against Santana.

“These two first-class prosecutors left jurors no doubt as to who committed this horrible crime,” Glasgow said. “They deserve credit for taking a cold-blooded killer off our streets.”

He also praised Joliet police for conducting an investigation that led to Santana.

Jacobo’s case is pending in front of Judge Schoenstedt. The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office reminds the public that a charge is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

December 16

JOLIET — The father and daughter charged with starving their puppy to death now face a felony count each of animal torture. 

Mark Obidowicz, 42, and his 18-year-old daughter, Nicole Obidowicz, first were arrested in October on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty in connection with the death of Kira, a black husky. 

The charges were boosted to felony aggravated cruelty to an animal when they appeared together for a Nov. 17 court date, and on Thursday, State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced the father and daughter were indicted on a stiffer felony charge of animal torture. 

If convicted, both father and daughter could end up pulling two to five years in prison on the Class 3 felony. They “intentionally starved the Siberian husky named Kira,” according to court papers. 

“These allegations describe a horrible ordeal suffered by this husky, and we are preparing a vigorous prosecution of these charges,” Glasgow said.

Mark Obidowicz bought Kira as a 4-month-old puppy and gave her to his daughter as a gift. The daughter did not care for or regularly feed the dog, police said. She then moved out of their Crest Hill home at 1846 Springside Drive. 

A state-licensed investigator for the West Suburban Humane Society said that while Nicole Obidowicz moved out, she kept her place of residence at her father’s home and did return there frequently. 

Neither she nor her father fed the dog with any degree of regularity, said the investigator, who asked not to be named. The dog died Oct. 22 at about a year old, officials said. 

Mark Obidowicz buried the dog in a nearby cornfield, the investigator said. With help from Joliet Township Animal Control personnel, the dog was exhumed for a postmortem examination by a veterinarian, the investigator said. The dog weighed 17.2 pounds when it was purchased as a 4-month-old, the investigator said. When it was examined as a 1-year-old three days after its death, it weighed a tenth of a pound less, she said. 

The veterinarian’s examination also revealed feces on the dog’s coat and metal marks on its teeth, indicating it had attempted to chew its way out of its cage, she said. 

In announcing the charges, Glasgow professed his love for animals and spoke of the importance of protecting them. 

“There are a multitude of law enforcement studies and psychological treatises that clearly demonstrate the abuse of animals is a precursor to violence against human beings,” said Glasgow, who penned the animal torture statute. “This is why I made sure that a conviction for animal torture mandates a psychological examination with a report to the court regarding propensity for future abuse of animals leading to violent acts against people.” 

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals lobbied Glasgow to pursue the upgraded charges of animal torture in the case. Dan Paden of PETA’s Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information Department forwarded his organization’s Action Alert, which called for the public to contact Glasgow and ask for the more severe felony charge.

October 28

Halloween is an exciting time of year and children can hardly wait to put on their costumes and fill their bags with candy. Unfortunately that excitement can sometimes make children, and adults, forget to be careful while they’re out having fun. 

State’s Attorney Glasgow wants to remind parents to be alert to the dangers that sex offenders may pose during Halloween activities and to know who lives in their neighborhood.

“Parents should know that sex offenders use holidays like Halloween to target children,” says Glasgow. The State’s Attorney urges parents to take a few minutes before their children go out trick or treating and check one of the online sex offender registries so they know if there are any offenders living in their area.

The Illinois State Police and the Will County Sheriff’s Department have websites where parents can check for registered sex offenders in any neighborhoods or where their children will be trick or treating. Glasgow added, “Parents can visit our Office website for the links, or if someone does not have access to a computer, I encourage them to call our Criminal Investigation Division at 815-727-8878 for the information. Also, computers are available at your local library.” 

“Trick or treating should create only good memories for our kids,” emphasizes Glasgow. “Parents need to be vigilant to ensure this Halloween will be a safe and enjoyable experience for their children.”

State’s Attorney Glasgow also asks parents to follow these safety tips:

Check with your local police department to see what the designated hours are for trick or treating and follow them. If there are no designated hours where they live, have the kids home before dark or no later than 7:00 p.m., whichever comes first.

If parents and children must go out after dark, stay in well-lighted areas and bring a flashlight. 

Older children should trick-or-treat with an adult or in a large group. Parents should map out a safe route and tell their children to stop only at familiar houses where the lights are on.

Young children should always trick-or-treat with a parent or trusted adult.

Children should wear costumes that can be seen in the dark. This will assist parents in chaperoning their children and safely alert passing motorists. Many stores sell glow-in-the-dark or reflective items that can be worn or carried while trick-or-treating. Costumes should also be flame-retardant and short enough to prevent tripping and falling. Avoid hard plastic or wood props, use foam rubber instead.

Parents should consider providing make-up instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable, and they can obstruct a child’s vision–a dangerous thing when kids are crossing streets and going up and down steps.

Stay within your neighborhood and only visit homes you know.

An adult should examine all treats before they are eaten. Eat only those treats that are un-opened and in their original wrappers. If you suspect that a treat has been tampered with, save it, and contact your local law enforcement agency.

Parents must warn their children that they should never enter anyone’s home or car while trick-or-treating. If someone tries to get them to come into their home or car, they should run away and immediately tell a trusted adult.

To find out the location of registered sex offenders in Will County, go to:

October 6

Will County State’s Attorney James W. Glasgow announced today that a Will County jury convicted Thomas S. Pomykala, 56, of Joliet on two counts of reckless homicide. The trial was head before the Hon Chief Judge Stephen D. White.

On February 21, 1999, Pomykala was driving a 1987 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon and struck an Oldsmobile 98 driven by Bernadine Pirc, 67 of Joliet. The accident happened at the intersection of Larkin Avenue and McDonough Street. 

Bernadine Pirc the grandmother of Taylor Nicole Pirc. Taylor 4 was killed in the accident. The Joliet Police Department arrested Pomykala at the scene. He submitted to a Breathalyzer result three and a half hours after the crash, resulting in a .21 breath alcohol, over twice the legal limit.

Dr Bryan Mitchell, the medical examiner, found that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the skull, resulting in immediate death to the four-year-old girl. 

In May 1999, another Will County jury convicted Pomykala on the same charges. The Illinois Supreme Court later overturned the verdict based on a jury instruction that had been tendered. They found the instruction to be unconstitutional. 

The second trial began in August 2003, which resulted in a mistrial, based on a statement of a state’s expert witness regarding Pomykala’s driving record. Judge White found that no double jeopardy had attached and that decision was affirmed by the Third District Appellate Court in Ottawa, IL. 

Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Jones and Nicole Moore tried the case for the People. Jones has been on the case since 1999. 

“This guilty verdict will end the ordeal that Gary & Cristy Pirc have endured for the last 6 years. They can now focus all of their energies on the Taylor Pirc project they founded in their daughters honor”. James W. Glasgow Will County State’s Attorney said.

July 7

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow in collaboration with Grundy and Kendall County State’s Attorneys will hold an evening reception/fundraiser to celebrate the Children’s Advocacy Center’s 10 th anniversary of providing a child-friendly, victim sensitive environment to conduct investigations of child sexual and physical abuse. As Will County State’s Attorney in 1995, Glasgow established the center to assist child victims and their families in navigating the complex legal, medical, and child welfare maze, guiding them through each phase of the process.

The Center is excited to welcome Attorney General Lisa Madigan as Key-note speaker and the event will take place on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 from 5-7 p.m. at the beautiful Rialto Theater in downtown Joliet. Tickets are $50 per person which includes food and beverage. As a non-profit, 501c3 agency, the Center depends on grants, private donations and fundraising events to maintain these critical services. For more information, contact the Children’s Advocacy Center at 815-727-0710.