Homeless man accused of stabbing in Woodstock agrees to be held in jail pretrial

A homeless man accused of stabbing another homeless man with a knife in Woodstock made his first appearance in court Wednesday and agreed to be held in the McHenry County jail pretrial.

Arthur Johnson, 69, is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, Class 3 felonies. If convicted, sentencing ranges from probation to five years in prison.

Johnson told Judge Carl Metz II on Wednesday that he is transient, has been unemployed for 15 years and has no money. The state was set to argue that he be held in jail pending his trial on the battery charges, but that was not necessary. His attorney, Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger, said Johnson already had agreed with prosecutors to be held in custody.

Johnson is accused of stabbing a man in the chest with a knife, causing “a laceration and profuse bleeding.”

Authorities allege in court records that the stabbing happened about 11:15 a.m. Monday. First responders were called to the 100 block of Eastwood Drive for a report of a stabbing that took place near a homeless encampment located in a wooded area set back from Eastwood, behind businesses fronting the road.

When first responders arrived, they found a man with a chest wound in critical condition, according to a Woodstock Fire/Rescue District news release. The man was taken to Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital and then flown to Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside in Rockford.

Woodstock Police Chief John Lieb confirmed Tuesday that the stabbing took place in the homeless encampment and involved two people in the encampment.

Johnson, who was appointed an assistant public defender to handle his case, is due back in court Dec. 18.