Another guilty plea in Fox Lake party beating

The second of three men charged in connection with a beating at a Fox Lake party pleaded guilty Tuesday in Lake County Circuit Court.

Daniel Heider, 18, was placed on probation for two years after pleading guilty to mob action.

Assistant State's Attorney Brett Henne said Heider, of the 200 block of Dittmer Lane in Lindenhurst, was among the guests at a March 10 party on Pistakee Lake Lane.

Around 12:30 a.m., Henne said, Heider and two other men dragged a 21-year-old intoxicated Round Lake Park man from a car and began beating him.

Henne said the victim had been circulating through the party earlier in the evening and had done something to upset Heider and the other two suspects.

The victim suffered a broken nose and cuts to his head that required eight stitches to close, Henne said.

All three were originally charged with aggravated battery and mob action, but Henne said he agreed to drop the more serious charge against Heider in return for his guilty plea.

On June 4, Casey Staral, 20, of the 1000 block of Fairfield Road in Round Lake Park, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery in connection with the same attack. Staral was placed on 18 months probation.

Steven Hook, 25, of the 100 block of Hawthorne Road in Round Lake Park, is the third person charged in the case, and is due to appear in court July 14.