Man accused of holding ex-girlfriend in apartment released

SYCAMORE – A DeKalb County judge ordered that a DeKalb man accused of holding his ex-girlfriend in his apartment for hours be released on his signature.

Erik Bellows, 29, of the 800 block of Kimberly Drive, has been charged with aggravated domestic battery, unlawful restraint, and two counts of domestic battery. If convicted of the most serious charge, aggravated domestic battery, he could face two to five years in prison, with four years of parole.

Police said in court records that Bellows’ ex-girlfriend stayed at his apartment Nov. 16 and 17, and the morning of Nov. 17, he asked her whether she was seeing other men; he asked for her phone, snatched it away and went into the apartment building hallway, the records show.

Bellows asked her about a photo and, before she could respond, slapped her, pushed her back into the apartment and slapped her two more times, the records show; they also say that he held her in the apartment for two hours by phyically blocking the door, before ultimately letting her go.

Judge Philip Montgomery ordered that Bellows be placed on electronic home monitoring, and that he not have any contact with the victim. Bellows is due back in court at 9 a.m. Feb. 1.