Downers Grove man gets 8 years for stabbing

A Downers Grove man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for stabbing a man last year during a public brawl involving about a half-dozen people.

Neal A. Skowron, 33, of the 900 block of Warren Avenue, pleaded guilty Wednesday to attempted armed violence and aggravated battery. He had faced up to 15 years in prison but was sentenced according to a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Authorities said Skowron knifed a man twice in the torso about 2:15 a.m. Aug. 8 after a fight involving about six people erupted at the intersection of Curtiss and Main streets in Downers Grove. The victim underwent surgery and later recovered.

Skowron was arrested at a friend’s Lombard home the day following the stabbing, after several witnesses identified him from a photo lineup, authorities said. His prior criminal history included drug offenses.

By law, Skowron must serve at least four years, with credit for 227 days in the DuPage County jail, prosecutors said. Judge John Kinsella accepted the negotiated plea.