Shorewood Man Who Survived Massive Head Injuries in 2003 Recovered Enough to Get Arrested on Battery Charge

In 2003, David Fonza was run down on West Jefferson Street in Joliet and left to lie on the street with head injuries so severe they took a pair of brain surgeries to repair them.

On Monday, Fonza was in the Will County jail, apparently sufficiently rehabilitated to allegedly batter his sister.

Fonza, 52, of 1004 Robin Hill Drive was arrested on Monday and was still locked up at the county jail Wednesday night. He is being held on a $500 bond.

Fonza and his sister quarreled Monday, said Shorewood Police Chief Robert Puleo. The argument escalated, the chief said, with Fonza calling his sister an obscene name and then striking her.

The sister went down to the police station. Officers listened to her story and then headed over to his Robin Hill Drive residence to take him into custody on a charge of domestic battery.

Puleo said the sister mentioned Fonza's 2003 accident and injuries to the officers who took her complaint.

The accident was on the night of Aug. 8, 2003. Fonza was run down by a van on Jefferson Street near Catherine Street. The driver took off, leaving the injured Fonza behind.

He suffered massive head injuries and was taken to Provena St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. From there, he was taken to St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields.

The brain surgeries were performed on Fonza at St. James.