A professional skateboarder from Crystal Lake was ordered released from McHenry County jail on electronic home monitoring Thursday despite using a skateboard as a weapon and hitting a victim hard enough to cause a brain bleed, court records show.
Gabriel R. Schuch, 19, of the 1300 block of Cottonwood Lane in Crystal Lake, is facing two Class 3 felony counts of aggravated battery for an incident that took place at about midnight Thursday, said Deputy Police Chief Richard Neumann of the Crystal Lake Police Department.
One aggravated battery charge is due to causing great bodily harm, Neumann said, while the other is for attacking a person in a public place.
According to the website “The Boardr,” Schuch is the 266th-ranked skateboarder in the nation and 1,338 globally all-time.
Schuch last posted two event results in 2025 after posting six event results in 2024. The website also claims Schuch is ranked 828th in street skateboarding globally.
Neumann said police were called to the 0-100 block of E. Woodstock Street at about midnight Thursday in reference to a subject who reported being battered by another person.
Court records filed in the McHenry County Circuit Clerk’s Office on Thursday show the attack came near the Crystal Lake Metra station near Grant and Railroad streets.
Upon arrival, officers located the victim, who sustained significant injuries, Neumann said.
During the investigation, it was determined that the suspect used a skateboard to strike the victim in the head during the incident, police said.
Court records show that Schuch hit the victim in the head with the wheels and axle of the skateboard hard enough to fracture the victim’s skull and cause a brain bleed.
The victim was transported to an area hospital with significant injuries, Neumann said.
At approximately 1:55 a.m., Schuch was identified and located in the area of westbound I-80 and the Tri-State Tollway in Lansing, Illinois, Neumann said,
Schuch was taken into custody without incident by the Illinois State Police, Neumann said.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed the necessary paperwork to detain Schuch in jail until trial.
However, court records show Schuch appeared before McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt, who ordered the teen released on electronic home monitoring and Pretrial conditions.
Those Pretrial conditions are that Schuch appear in court as ordered, not leave the state without authorization, not possess any firearms and not have any communication with the victim.
He has also been ordered to surrender any firearms he may possess to the police within 24 hours and refrain from any consumption of any alcohol or drugs.
Neumann said the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Anyone with additional information relating to the incident should contact the Crystal Lake Police Department at (815) 356-3620.