Man Charged In Spa Attack That Sent Staffer To Hospital: Niles PD

NILES, IL — Nearly three months after an attack on a worker at a Niles spa, police have announced charges against two people.

Police said the man and the woman refused to pay for services at the King Spa and Sauna, 809 Civic Center Drive, on the night of March 29.

When a spa employee approached them after they left without paying, the man pushed the worker to the ground, police said.

The employee was taken to an area hospital for treatment, while the couple fled the scene in a white sedan.

The 60-year-old employee was revived by a massage therapist who found him unconscious and not breathing after hitting his head on the pavement, management told Pioneer Press.

About a week later, police released images of the suspects captured from security footage.

On Monday, police announced that detectives had figured out the identities of the duo.

Eric Jones, 31, of the 200 block of 93rd Street, Chicago, was charged with one count of aggravated battery to a merchant, a class 3 felony, and one count of misdemeanor theft of labor or services.

Tabria Rutledge, 25, of the 8300 block of 86th Avenue, Justice, was charged with one count of theft.

Police said Jones was in custody at Cook County Jail on an unrelated charge when he was processed on the Niles charges Monday. He was due in court for bond hearing Tuesday.

Rutledge was detained by Justice police and taken to the Niles Police Department last week before being released on her own recognizance ahead of an August court appearance.

RELATED: Police Seek Duo In Attack On Worker At King Spa In Niles

According to a statement last week from the village manager's office, a sergeant violated department policies in his response to the King Spa incident.

That officer, Sgt. Nicholas Beyer, also filed a whistleblower report in connection with an incident in February, which prompted former Mayor Andrew Pryzbylo to call for Police Chief Luis Tigera to be placed on administrative leave.

In that incident, bodycam video showed Niles officers called to a report of a fellow police employee passed out in the drive-thru lane of the Dempster Street McDonald. In response, police did not perform a sobriety check but did drive the employee back to his home in Elgin, according to a Niles Journal investigation.

Earlier this month, village officials announced that an internal investigation into the incident at the drive-thru determined that all officers involved acted appropriately.

"There were several elements of the response that were cited publicly, and were falsely depicted as illegal or improper, including turning off body cameras, an officer driving the subject of the well being check home in a police car, and the lack of a formal report being filed for the incident," it said. "The internal investigation looked closely at these actions and the related laws and protocols. No policies or laws were violated by these actions, and officers acted within their allowed discretion."