Sandwich couple accused of assaulting officers free on signatures

A Sandwich woman shook her head Monday with disbelief as a prosecutor described how she had drunkenly tried to take an officer's taser and threatened to kill his children.

Shannon K. Garza, 30, of the 400 block of Ash Street in Sandwich, appeared via closed-circuit television shortly after her boyfriend, Michael P. Williams, who also lives there. They've both been charged with aggravated resisting a police officer, typically punishable by three to seven years in prison, followed by two years of parole.

They were both released on their signatures, with the condition they be placed on electronic home monitoring.

Court records show officers responded just after 2 a.m. to the couple's residence after a neighbor reported a fight in the front yard and glass being broken.

Officers found trash in the front yard, and after Garza answered the front door, visibly drunk, Williams walked up behind her and told officers to get off his property while spitting in one of their faces, prompting a tussle, the records show.

As an officer was trying to cuff Williams, Garza jumped on his back and tried to grab his taser. She engaged the officer, saying she's a Northwestern Medicine nurse, and that she hoped to get her hands on his children so she could kill them, the records show, adding she later spat on the officer while he brought her to the squad car.

Public Defender Tom McCulloch said she has five children, the youngest being seven weeks old, and whom she is still nursing. Assistant State's Attorney Suzanne Collins said Williams' blood-alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit.

They're both due back in a Sycamore court at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 12.