St. Charles man charged in beating; victim still in hospital

A St. Charles man has been charged in a severe beating downtown over the weekend that put another man in the hospital with serious head injuries, police said Wednesday.

Jack R. Gray, 26, of the 700 block of Westfield Drive, is charged with two counts of aggravated battery in connection with the attack early Saturday on the 200 block of West Main Street.

About 1:40 a.m. Gray approached a 26-year-old man standing on the sidewalk and punched him in the face. Responding officers arrived to find the victim unconscious with a skull fracture and brain hemorrhage, according to police.

"There apparently were words exchanged prior to the incident, but it doesn't appear that they knew each other prior to the battery," St. Charles police spokesman Paul McCurtain said.

Police located and arrested Gray in the same block late Tuesday after felony charges were authorized. He was released from the Kane County jail Wednesday after posting 10 percent of a $35,000 bond.

Authorities said the victim was stable Wednesday but still being treated at Delnor Hospital in Geneva, where he "continues to improve."

Gray appears to have a lengthy criminal history in Kane County, with convictions for theft, property damage and drug possession, according to court records. His next court date wasn't immediately available.