A St. Charles man who plead guilty to strangling two women has been sentenced to 7 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
30-year-old Jeffrey J. Haugen agreed to the sentence in exchange for a guilty plea to the offense of aggravated domestic battery-strangulation, Class 2 felony, 2 counts.
Kane County Judge Salvatore LoPiccolo accepted the plea.
On March 30, 2019, Haugen and his girlfriend, the victim, got into an argument, with Haugen ultimately chasing her upstairs, pushing her onto the bed, putting her into a choke hold, obstructing her breathing, and then striking her in the head with her mobile phone.
On Jan. 18, 2021, while he was free on bond in the first case, Haugen and a new girlfriend were in an argument when Haugen placed his hands around the victim’s neck, and the victim lost consciousness to the point that she defecated. When Haugen let go of the victim, she escaped and grabbed a rock. Haugen took the rock from her, struck her in the head with it, and then pushed her to the floor, breaking her nose.
According to Illinois law, Haugen must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence. He receives credit for 175 days served in the Kane County jail.
“I’m proud of these two survivors for coming forward and seeing these cases through to the end,” said Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Gasparro after the sentencing. “I’m also grateful for the strength of these victims, and that the judge considered the seriousness and lethality of Mr. Haugen’s criminal behavior. He had no criminal history, but the fact that he committed two violent domestic offenses against two victims in less than two years was concerning enough that he needed to be sent to prison to send the message that violence is no way to settle an argument.”
