The DeKalb Sheriff’s Office arrested a Cortland man Monday charged with shooting a woman in the face with an arrow.

At 7:30 p.m. the Cortland Police Department along with the sheriff’s office responded to the 200 block of King Street and later arrested Gary D. Aspengren, 64, and charged him with armed violence, a Class X Felony, aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 Felony and two counts of aggravated battery, a Class 3 Felony, said a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office press release.

DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said the woman, 58, is a “longtime living companion” of Aspengren, and said that they have had “on-going domestic issues over the last several months.”

Scott said the victim was sitting in the passenger seat of a car when Aspengren allegedly shot an arrow using a “heavy duty bow and arrow” through the car window and struck the woman in the upper cheek. Scott said the woman went over to neighbors who then called police.

The woman was taken to Kishwaukee Community Hospital, 1 Kish Hospital Drive, and later transferred to St. Anthony’s Hospital, 5510 E State St, in Rockford, the release said.

Scott said the woman was scheduled to undergo surgery later Tuesday afternoon. A representative from St. Anthony’s Hospital said at 5 p.m. Tuesday she was listed in serious condition.

The Class X Felony holds a mandatory sentence of six to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Bill Engerman, first assistant state’s attorney for DeKalb County, said in this case the mandatory sentence increases to 10-30 years if convicted because of the weapon that was used. Engerman also said the Class 2 Felony has a maximum sentence of seven years and each Class 3 Felony has a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Aspengren, who is currently being held at the DeKalb County Jail on $650,000 bond, has an arraignment hearing scheduled for Oct. 28.

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