Wilmington police forced their way into a motel room on Bridge Street Thursday night after a co-worker's tip led them to a woman who had allegedly been held captive and beaten for hours. Officers say they found a man and woman together in a bed inside the room, with the woman visibly injured and in need of immediate medical attention.
According to WJOL, officers were dispatched to the Super Shine Motel in the 100 block of Bridge Street at approximately 9:25 p.m. Thursday after the woman's co-worker received concerning messages. Police said those messages indicated the woman was being held inside the room by her boyfriend, that the door had been barricaded, and that she needed help. Shaw Local, in The Herald-News, reported that the woman's texts indicated the door was barricaded.
Officers Forced Their Way Inside
When police arrived, they discovered the door barricaded from within and worked with motel staff to obtain a room key before forcing entry, per the same account. Once inside, officers removed the man, later identified as Ethan Demsco of Lockport, from the room while other officers tended to the woman. The Will County Sheriff's Office assisted at the scene, and Will County crime scene investigators processed the room for evidence, according to police.
The woman told officers she had been held inside the room since about 12:30 p.m. Thursday and identified Demsco as the person responsible for her injuries, police said. She reported being repeatedly struck in the face with a metal object and strangled multiple times, to the point of losing consciousness, according to the report. Wilmington EMS responded to the scene and transported her to St. Joseph's Hospital for further treatment, the station notes.
Charges Filed Against Lockport Man
Demsco was taken to the Wilmington Police Department for processing before being transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility, where he remains in custody. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and one count of aggravated unlawful restraint, police said.
Demsco's hometown carries a small discrepancy across reports: Wilmington police listed him as a Lockport resident, while Will County jail logs listed a Joliet address, according to Patch. No court appearance, plea, or further case update has been reported as of this writing, and the woman's current condition has not been disclosed.
