Brothers Severely Beat 65-Year-Old In Wilmington: Sheriff

WILMINGTON, IL — Two brothers have been charged after severely beating a 65-year-old man, the Will County Sheriff's office said. Steven Shelly, 25, of Diamond, was charged with aggravated battery to a senior citizen, criminal damage to property, and aggravated battery. Christopher Shelly, 27, of Diamond, faces the same charges as Steven, as well as an additional charge of unlawful restraint.

Deputies were called to a business in Wilmington Thursday about a battery. When deputies arrived, police said they spoke to a man who said he was at his job when his father arrived in his car severely injured and said he was just attacked. The son called 911 and the 65-year-old was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center.

According to police, deputies went to the hospital to speak with the man and learned he had been at work at Brown's Towing in Wilmington waiting for two people to pick up a motorcycle which has been involved in a fatal crash in Braidwood.

The two people, Christopher and Steven Shelly, paid the tow fees and they and their father were allowed into the gated lot to get the motorcycle. Police said when the family was inside the lot, the man saw Christopher enter a car that had been involved in the same fatal crash with the motorcycle. The man told Christopher to get away from the car because he had no right to be inside it.

Police said a verbal argument ensued between the man and Christopher about the car. The man told police Steven blindsided him and punched him in the face, causing the man to fall to the ground. The man got back on his feet when he was struck in the face again, causing him to fall to the ground a second time and knocking his glasses off and his hearing aids out.

The man tried to pull out his cell phone to call for help, and Steven slapped the phone out of his hand, according to police. The victim tried to get his phone, and Steven grabbed it and threw it. The man then went toward the gate to close it, and the truck with the loaded motorcycle crashed into an aluminum fence, causing it to fall.

According to police, Christopher exited the truck, picked up the man and threw him to the ground on top of the fence. He held his knee to the man's chest and placed his hand around his neck and told him, "they were 'expletive' leaving." They opened the gate and left the scene, police said.

The man couldn't find his phone, so he drove to his son's workplace for help, police said. The victim suffered from multiple lacerations, broken ribs, a collapsed lung and possible internal bleeding.

Steven and Christopher are both being held on $1,500 bond, and had not yet been released Friday.