EDWARDSVILLE – Several cases of battery around Madison County in recent months have resulted in felony charges against many individuals in the area. Cases include an Alton man charged with punching and pepper-spraying someone in an AMC movie theater, another Alton man throwing soap at a corrections employee’s head, and many more.
Desiree A. Doty, 38, of Granite City, was charged with one count of domestic battery on Feb. 2, 2024. Doty allegedly knowingly caused bodily harm to a household or family member by striking them “about the face with a closed fist,” according to court documents. The state will reportedly seek an enhanced Class 4 sentence in this case due to his prior conviction of domestic battery in 2016 in Madison County.
Doty’s latest domestic battery case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department, and he faces an enhanced Class 4 felony charge. Court documents indicate he was released upon his signature of a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order.
Roy W. Ware, 68, of Alton, was charged with one count each of battery and aggravated battery on Jan. 27, 2024. Ware allegedly struck the victim in the face with a closed fist and sprayed pepper spray into the same victim’s eyes while they were at an AMC movie theater.
Ware faces a Class 3 felony for aggravated battery and a Class A misdemeanor for battery. His case was presented by the Edwardsville Police Department, and court documents indicate he was remanded to jail to be held until his initial appearance in court.
Kaiharie S. Arnold, 23, of Alton, was charged with one count of aggravated battery on Jan. 7, 2024. According to court documents, Arnold allegedly threw a bar of soap at the head of a corrections employee. He faces a Class 2 felony and was released upon his signature of a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order.
Xavier A. Sylvester, 25, of Edwardsville, was charged with one count of domestic battery on Jan. 5, 2024. According to court documents, Sylvester allegedly knowingly caused bodily harm to a household or family member by shoving them to the ground, causing injury.
The state reportedly intends to seek an enhanced Class 4 sentence in this case because Sylvester had previously been convicted of domestic battery in 2022 in Madison County. As such, he faces an enhanced Class 4 felony in the case presented by the Edwardsville Police Department. Court documents indicate Sylvester was released upon his signature of a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order.
Hannah N. Zitko, 25, of Wood River, was charged with aggravated domestic battery on Dec. 27, 2023. According to court documents, Zitko “repeatedly struck the victim,” a household or family member, “about the head and body, causing her to fall into a table.” The incident caused “great bodily harm” to the victim in the form of a laceration on her back which required “14 sutures to close the wound.”
Zitko was additionally charged with criminal damage to property after knowingly damaging a television and various other pieces of personal property which belonged to the same victim she committed the aggravated battery against. The damages reportedly totaled over $500 but less than $10,000.
In total, Zitko faces one Class 2 felony for aggravated domestic battery and a Class 4 felony for criminal damage to property. Her case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department, and she was released upon her signature of a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order.
The issuance of charges is based solely upon probable cause and is not an indication of guilt. All subjects charged with criminal offenses are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
