Mother blames son for father's near-fatal fall down stairs

The McHenry County man who is being investigated for a possible role in a serious fall his father took down a flight of stairs has a long history of violent outbursts toward his family, his mother wrote this week in court documents seeking an order of protection against him.

The incident Sunday night that left Frank Glusic, of Prairie Grove, hospitalized in critical condition is not the first time his son, Christopher, has harmed a member of his family, according to his mother.

In a petition for the protective order, Donna Glusic describes incidents in which the 20-year-old threatened his parents with a weapon, kicked and p

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"Chris has had violent episodes with his father, and I also, in the past," she writes. "He has always been very destructive at home. Ruining furniture, walls, etc."

Authorities said Frank Glusic, 56, fell down a flight of 20 stairs Sunday night while trying to prevent his son from leaving the family's home. Investigators are trying to determine whether the fall was an accident or result of an intentional shove.

Prairie Grove police initially charged the younger Glusic with aggravated domestic battery, alleging he had pushed his father, but McHenry County prosecutors dismissed the felony charge Tuesday pending further investigation.

Instead, Glusic faces a misdemeanor domestic battery charge for an earlier altercation with his father Sunday and resisting arrest for fighting with police officers responding to the incident.

While law enforcement officials said they still are investigating, Glusic's mother leaves no doubt in her petition about what she believes happened.

"(Christopher), with great force, pushed my husband down the stairs, resulting in my husband being unconscious for at least five minutes and now laying in a coma," she writes.

The fall, according to Donna Glusic, left her husband in need of emergency surgery to treat a fractured skull and severe brain damage. Authorities initially said doctors were giving him just a 25 percent chance of survival, but his condition has improved since.

A McHenry County judge Thursday granted Donna Glusic and two children a two-week protective order that bars Christopher Glusic from having any contact with them. He is allowed to return home to collect his belongings only if escorted by police.

The younger Glusic remained in custody Friday at the McHenry County jail, unable to post $18,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning.