PEORIA Ill. – The man arrested for punching a 79-year-old at the Shell gas station on Prospect in Peoria, in August, was charged with two counts of aggravated battery Thursday.
According to Peoria County State’s Attorney, Jodi Hoos, the State’s Petition to detain 26-year-old Theodore Bethel was denied — with the judge releasing him from custody on conditions.
The victim told police he arrived at the gas station with a female friend, on August 16th.
He went inside to pre-pay for gas and handed the clerk money while his friend was at the check-out counter.
Another man waiting in line, later identified as Bethel, got upset as he felt the victim was “cutting in line” and punched him in the face.
The victim was struck so hard that he fell to the ground, and blood was pooling underneath him.
The man’s right eye extremely swollen, and he was unable to see out of it.
The victim suffered a broken orbital bone, and he lost a tooth from being punched. Bethel immediately fled the gas station.
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