Marine held in Lake County Jail pending trial after domestic violence incident in which he strangled his victim

A 33-year-old U.S. Navy sailor has been remanded in Lake County Jail pending trial after he strangled a woman following a drunken attack in her Gurnee home in May, court officials said.

Jeremy Couch, 33, is charged with aggravated domestic violence/strangulation, a Class 2 felony, and aggravated assault/strangulation following an incident at his private residence on May 25.

If convicted on the most serious charge, Couch could face up to seven years in prison, although the charge is eligible for probation.

It is currently unclear what relationship Couch and the victim have, but authorities said they both lived in the same house in Gurnee at the time of the incident.

Additionally, it is currently unclear what position or rank Couch holds in the Navy.

Assistant Lake County Attorney Colleen McConnell said in court that the victim called Gurnee police to the home on May 25 and stated she needed an ambulance.

When officers arrived, Couch left the house to speak with them, but officers said Couch showed signs that led them to believe he was intoxicated, McConnell said.

Officers entered the home and saw the victim coming down the stairs with blood on his arms, legs and clothing.

She told police that she and Couch had been arguing verbally while cooking, but the argument turned physical and Couch grabbed her by the neck and began choking her.

McConnell said Couch lifted her off the ground by her neck while choking her, using so much force that it felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Couch then threw the victim onto the kitchen floor, causing his head to hit the floor and a cut on the back of his head.

During the verbal argument, Couch asked the victim if she wanted to die, McConnell said.

McConnell said Couch had a firearm in the house, but it was locked away throughout the incident and never taken out. However, she added that it was “concerning” that Couch had access to a gun.

The victim also told officers that there had been previous cases of domestic violence in the home that had not been reported, McConnell said.

“The defendant told officers that nothing was going on in his head,” McConnell said in court. “When he (Couch) was asked about her injuries, he advised that there was no physical contact, although (the victim) had several visible and obvious injuries.”

McConnell said Couch also expressed suicidal thoughts to officers, which led police to involuntarily commit him to the hospital for psychiatric treatment.

Lake County Assistant Public Defender Gregg Wolpoff argued during the detention hearing that a military investigation into the incident was underway and that Couch could be quarantined at Naval Station Great Lakes rather than the Lake County Jail until trial.

However, Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak said that since no U.S. Navy liaison was present at the detention hearing, it was not known what restrictions the Navy Couch might impose if he were released.

“Because nobody of the Navy was present to answer questions about whether he would be barred from the base. “Given the level of violence that was discussed in court, I have to make an uninformed decision,” Potkonjak said. “I do not know his mental state at this time, so I have to assume that he poses a real and present threat at this time.”

Couch is due back in court on July 9.