Man accused of punching 2 women at Gurnee hotel while on pre-trial release for disarming officer, slashing them

Prosecutors say a man, who called himself God, punched his sister and a random woman while on pre-trial release for disarming a police officer and slashing the officer with a knife in Grayslake.

Anthony Camarda, 31, of Grayslake, was charged with domestic battery, two counts of battery and resisting arrest from a peace officer.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Nicholas Shepherd said officers were called to the Motel 6 in Gurnee on May 14 for a domestic battery.

A woman, who is not related to Camarda, reported that she heard yelling in the hallway and looked out of her hotel room.

She saw Camarda with a vicious look on his face just before he approached her and punched her in the face, Shepherd said.

The woman directed officers to the room where she heard the domestic incident occurring.

Officers learned Camarda and his sister were in the room arguing. The sister reported Camarda became upset with her because she refused to buy cigarettes, Shepherd said.

Camarda has diagnosed mental health issues and the sister believed the man was not on his medication.

Surveillance video captured Camarda punching both his sister and the random woman in the hallway, Shepherd said.

Officers attempted to arrest Camarda and he began resisting arrest. Shepherd said Camarda told officers he was God and signed all documents during his booking process as “God.”

Camarda’s sister reported the man threatened to blow up the gas station next door to the hotel days prior, Shepherd said.

Camarda was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville in May and then transferred to another facility where he remained until last month.

At the time of the incident, Camarda was on pre-trial release after being charged in January 2023 with disarming a peace officer, three counts of aggravated battery of a peace officer or emergency worker and one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Francis DeRosa said at the time of Camarda’s arrest in that case that officers responded on January 5, 2023, to his Grayslake residence for a domestic incident.

The man’s sister called 911 and reported Camarda had threatened to kill her.

Officers found Camarda in a bathroom and the man told the officers to leave, DeRosa said.

Paramedics responded to the scene for a psychiatric evaluation but Camarda continued yelling at them.

Camarda began swinging closed fists at the fire department personnel and officers, DeRosa said. He also allegedly swung a porcelain dish.

DeRosa said Camarda struck a police officer in the face and also struck a firefighter-paramedic in the face. Both suffered injuries.

Camarda disarmed a police officer by taking the officer’s knife that was in his ballistic vest carrier, DeRosa said.

Camarda allegedly began swinging the knife and slashed the police officer’s hand.

Officers tasered Camarda and were eventually able to place him in custody, DeRosa said.

Camarda was taken into custody in February 2023 on that case and held in the Lake County Jail until November 2023 when a judge released him because the state’s attorney’s office did not file a petition to detain him after his attorney petitioned the court to release his client.

The state’s attorney’s office last month filed a petition to revoke his pre-trial release in the 2023 case and a petition to detain in the latest case.

Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak granted both petitions during a recent court hearing.