A man accused of stalking Gov. J.B. Pritzker and throwing rocks at the governor’s Gold Coast home was ordered released on electronic monitoring Tuesday, despite prosecutors’ request that he be detained.
Adam A. Dabash, 38, was charged with stalking and criminal damage to property after he was taken into custody Monday morning blocks from the governor’s home, according to the Illinois State Police.
Prosecutors had asked during a hearing Tuesday afternoon that Dabash be detained, arguing he posed a danger to the governor. But Judge William Fahy denied their petition and ordered him released.
Fahy acknowledged the seriousness of Dabash’s alleged crimes, saying a person’s home is “their sanctuary.” But he also noted that Dabash had no criminal record and had not threatened violence.
Fahy’s decision follows guidelines established in the state’s landmark SAFE-T Act that ended cash bail. It was signed into law by Pritzker in 2021.
The bail reforms, which took effect last month, mandate that judges release defendants under the least restrictive conditions that will still ensure public safety and the defendant’s return to court.
On two separate occasions in August, Dabash was allegedly recorded throwing letters or notes in front of the governor’s home. The letters contained mostly “nonsensical” writings about foreign affairs and did not include any threats, prosecutors said.
Private surveillance cameras recorded Dabash outside the governor’s home three times on Monday morning as he threw “baseball-sized” rocks, causing nearly $8,000 in damage, prosecutors said.
The governor and first lady were both home at the time, but no one was hurt, state police said.
A woman walking her dog saw Dabash throw at least one of the rocks and called police, who took him into custody about two blocks away. He was identified by the woman, prosecutors said.
While in custody, Dabash allegedly destroyed a mattress in a holding cell and told officers that “we have a motherf——- for a governor,” which prosecutors said proved Dabash knew he was targeting Pritzker’s home.
Dabash, of Villa Park, repeatedly made statements during his hearing Tuesday, despite the judge asking him to refrain from speaking.
Dabash told the judge he denied the charges. He also asked to have the Egyptian and Turkish consulates notified of the charges against him and said repeatedly that he was trying “to get home.”
Fahy told Dabash he is not allowed to leave the state while the charges are pending and must surrender his passport as a condition of release.
