Sycamore man accused of attempting to strangle woman with fan cord: Records

SYCAMORE – A Sycamore man was charged Wednesday after police alleged he attempted to strangle a woman with a fan cord and threatened to kill her, according to court records.

Michael A. Cohen, 48, was arrested on Tuesday after a woman over 60 told police he wrapped a fan cord around her neck and attempted to strangle her for about 1 to 3 minutes, police wrote in DeKalb County court filings. The woman said Cohen attacked her at 6:49 p.m. Tuesday at a Sycamore house. She alleged he pushed her to the ground, causing her to fall, records show.

Cohen was charged with aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, aggravated battery, and two counts of misdemeanor domestic battery, records show.

If convicted of the Class 2 felony, Cohen could face up to five years in prison, or 10 years on an extended term, Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick said. He could also be fined up to $25,000 for each felony charge.

Prosecutor Dan Regna of the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office, asked Buick on Wednesday to deny Cohen’s release, arguing doing so would endanger the public and victim. Cohen appeared for an initial court appearance before the judge, who ordered him detained.

Regna said that he believes Cohen committed a “very brutal and vicious attack.”

DeKalb County sheriff’s deputies who responded to a 911 call to report a domestic disturbance Tuesday said the woman told them Cohen her after being angry with her for multiple hours “because he has court” the next day, court records state. She alleged her cursed at her and threw food.

The woman told deputies she feared for her life. Police said they saw a red cord mark around the woman’s whole neck, scratches on the left side of her neck and a bruise on her right arm, records show.

The woman alleged that Cohen told her ‘You’re lucky I let you go because I could have killed you,’ police wrote in court filings.

On Feb. 18, Cohen was charged with two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery against the same woman from the Tuesday attack, court records show. Cohen had a court date scheduled for that case on Wednesday.

But Cohen has a history of mental illness, according to the DeKalb County Public Defender’s Office which unsuccessfully argued for his release Wednesday.

In her ruling denying release to Cohen, Buick said his alleged actions Tuesday were more than “assaultive.”

“It was aggressive, it was abusive, it was violent,” Buick said. “That is the finding of the court.”

Buick also revoked Cohen’s pretrial release on the February case.

As Buick spoke, Cohen could be seen shaking his head. He appeared to wipe his eyes after Buick ordered him held in jail.

His next court date is 9 a.m. on Aug. 14.