Lakemoor man acquitted of home invasion, beating

Robert L. Hilt, 36, had been facing between six and 30 years in prison for home invasion. He also was charged with two counts of domestic battery.

Hilt and the alleged victim have known each other since they were 11, dated for about four years, and have a child together.

The woman had taken out an emergency order of protection against Hilt that expired in early September 2011. A final order was entered, but Hilt did not know about it, said his attorney, Brian K. Stevens.

The alleged victim, whose mother lived with her and was dying from cancer, testified Tuesday that she asked Hilt to come back into the home to help with the couple’s daughter.

He took off for about 36 hours, they had a disagreement and Hilt left again, she said, only to return later that day. She said he then broke into her home by knocking out a glass window pane to open a door, forced his way in, and began beating her in the back of the head.

A deputy testified that he responded to the scene and found Hilt laying on the road with blood on his face. Hilt was eventually taken to the hospital and told police that several of the woman's relatives had beat him up that night.

During closing arguments, Stevens pointed out that the woman had invited Hilt back into the home.

"She can't just turn it on and off like a light switch," Stevens said. "If she's saying come back, he has authority. She can't just switch it like that and now call this a home invasion."

Prosecutors, however, said that the final order of protection had been signed by a judge – it wasn't up to the woman.

Stevens also pointed to a voicemail the alleged victim left for the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office saying she would testify that her statement to police was a lie. She wrote a letter recanting, as well.