Janusz Owca Uses Call From Jail To Threaten Wife

A man arrested for attacking his wife now faces a felony intimidation charge after using his phone call from jail to threaten her life.

Janusz Owca, 32, of northwest suburban Maine Township, allegedly "returned home drunk and violently attacked" his wife Sunday night, the Daily Herald reports. Police told the Herald that Owca pulled her hair and choked her, until she left the building with her two young children.

When police arrived on the scene, Owca was combative and threatened to harm the officers. Then, while in the squad car, he made more threats.

"I know [expletives] at the county jail," Owca said, according to a release from the Cook County Sheriff's office. "I could have her killed for 100 bucks."

Owca was taken to a lockup facility in Maywood, where he was allowed to make one phone call. The sheriff's office reports that he called his wife "and threatened to kill her when he got out of jail because of his arrest."

The suspect has a history of domestic violence, and his Sunday arrest was a violation of his probation for another domestic violence charge in July. After detectives spoke to his wife, they contacted the Cook County State's attorney's office and decided to charge Owca with felony intimidation, along with the original aggravated domestic battery charge, according to the release. Owca was ordered held on $350,000 bond.

The victim and her children were offered a safe haven to ensure their security.

Owca was arrested for a DUI on July 21--and "an hour and a half later Sheriff's Police arrested Owca for domestic battery." He also has a history of arrests for drug possession and theft.