Lombard man charged in beating teen with wood plank

A Lombard man was being held in the Kane County jail Friday on charges he hit a teenager in the head with a plank of wood last month at party near Maple Park.

Ryan S. Veldman, 24, of the 1100 block of East Addison Avenue, was arrested Thursday on one count of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony, police said.

Kane County Sheriff's Lt. Chris Collins said Veldman was one of 30 to 40 people at a May 2 party on the 1S100 block of Miner Road, south of Maple Park.

About 1 a.m., Collins said, several teenagers arrived and began fighting with two bouncers who told the underage guests to leave.

Collins said the fight had broken up when Veldman, who was associated with neither group, stepped up and hit an 18-year-old Carol Stream man in the back of the head and lower back with a 4-foot-long, 2-by-6 piece of wood.

The victim lost consciousness and was unable to identify his attacker, police said, but several witnesses later pointed out Veldman in a photo lineup.

Collins said the victim was hospitalized briefly in intensive care, but it was "mostly a precautionary measure." He was released the next day.

Veldman was arrested on a warrant Thursday night and remained in the county jail Friday. There was no attorney listed for him in court records, and his next court wasn't immediately available.