New Chicago Man Charged with Multiple Counts After Domestic Battery Incident
NEW CHICAGO — A New Chicago man has been charged with multiple felony counts after allegedly attacking his wife during a domestic dispute earlier this week, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by the New Chicago Police Department.
The affidavit states that on November 3, 2025, officers were dispatched to a home on the 2900 block of Dekalb Street for a report of domestic battery. Upon arrival, Officers spoke with the victim who said her husband, Richard Lee Englerth, had punched her in the face, chipping her tooth, and later cut her arm with a pocketknife during the altercation.
According to the report, the victim told officers that the couple had been arguing when the dispute turned violent. She stated that Richard struck her once in the cheek with a closed fist, causing immediate pain and visible injury. When she attempted to get away, she said Richard pulled out a pocketknife and cut her on the left arm during the struggle.
Officers documented a red circular mark on her face, consistent with being struck, as well as a chipped left front tooth and a 2-3 inch cut on her arm. The officer also noted that multiple children were asleep in the home during the attack.
Through a records check, investigators learned that Richard Englerth had a prior conviction for domestic battery earlier this year involving the same victim. Court records show Englerth was convicted in Lake Superior Court on September 12, 2025, for Domestic Battery.
Due to that previous conviction and the injuries sustained in the most recent incident, prosecutors have filed multiple felony charges against Englerth, including:
• Count I: Domestic Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury — Level 5 Felony
• Count II: Domestic Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon (Knife) — Level 5 Felony
• Count III: Domestic Battery (Level 5 Felony), enhanced due to a prior conviction
• Count IV: Domestic Battery (Class A Misdemeanor)
The enhancement elevates the charges based on Englerth’s prior domestic battery conviction against the same victim.
