A 19-year-old professional skateboarder from Illinois was arrested after allegedly striking another man in the head with a skateboard at a Metra train station.
Gabriel R. Schuch faces charges of aggravated battery in a public place and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm. The incident took place around midnight on Thursday at the downtown Crystal Lake station, about 45 miles northwest of Chicago. Police responded to a 911 call and found the victim with serious injuries, including a fractured skull and brain bleed that required intensive care. Officers arrested Schuch later that morning in Lansing, Illinois, without incident. During a court hearing, prosecutors said a witness described the attack as unprovoked. The defense attorney argued that Schuch acted in fear after a prior attack by the same man and that the injuries suggested a frontal strike. Schuch was released under court supervision with an ankle monitor and a no-contact order. He is scheduled to appear in court again on July 9.