Plato Twp. man faces felony domestic battery charges in alleged face-stomping incident

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – A Plato Township man who was charged with stomping on the victim’s face and fracturing her facial bones – and whose previous domestic battery charges included knocking out the victim’s teeth – is being held without bond in the Kane County jail after he violated the terms of his release not to contact the victim.

Eric D. Zimmerman, 36, of the 9N100 block of Muirhead Road, Plato Township, was charged Aug. 22 with two counts of aggravated domestic battery, unlawful restraint and obstructing justice by destroying evidence, all felonies.

According to the charging documents, Zimmerman “repeatedly stomped on her face with his foot causing [the victim] to have fractured facial bones.”

Charging documents allege that Zimmerman “prevented her from escaping the residence … by using force around her arms and continuing to batter her about the body when she would attempt to exit the residence to seek safety.”

Zimmerman also used his telephone system to make repeated phone calls to the victim “with the intent to abuse and threaten [her] in that during the course of the offense, Eric threatened to kill [her] by making several threatening statements,” according to the charging documents.

With the intent to prevent being prosecuted, Zimmerman refused to comply with a search warrant and provide the password to his digital devices, resulting in the obstruction charge, also according to the charging documents.

Zimmerman also was charged with six misdemeanor counts of domestic battery, one which alleged that he kicked the victim in the ribs “causing her to have severe pain and potentially multiple broken ribs,” according to the charging documents.

Zimmerman also was charged with misdemeanor resisting a police officer, interfering with the reporting of domestic violence, telephone harassment in that he called the victim 20 times and disorderly conduct in that he allegedly screamed obscenities to the victim on the phone and in person, according to the charging documents.

Zimmerman was released Aug. 30 after posting $5,000 as bail, or 10% of the $50,000 bond that was set, records show. The terms of his release required that he not have contact or communication with the victim who had since moved to St. Charles.

Zimmerman was charged Sept. 17 with misdemeanor violation of his bond in that he used an employee of his business to locate the victim’s whereabouts, court records show.

Associate Judge Divya Sarang ordered Zimmerman to be held without bond.

Zimmerman is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 2 on the current charges, records show.

Zimmerman previously had been charged with domestic battery against the same victim in 2020 and twice in 2021, court records show.

The misdemeanor charges in 2020 were dropped after prosecutors determined “there was insufficient evidence to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt,” court records show.”

The victim agreed with that decision, according to court records.

Zimmerman was charged twice in May 2021, on May 7 with misdemeanor domestic battery and on May 18 with felony as well as misdemeanor domestic battery, records show.

The felony charge stemmed from an incident in which he punched the victim in the face, causing her teeth to be knocked out, according to a June 22, 2021, indictment against Zimmerman.

Zimmerman also was indicted on two misdemeanor charges alleging that he grabbed the victim and struck her about her head and body, court records show.

Zimmerman entered the Domestic Violence Deferred Prosecution Program, records show.

He pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic battery on Nov. 5, 2021, and was sent to the Braden Counseling Center to participate in the Partner Abuse Intervention Program for 26 weeks, from June 30 to Dec. 21, 2021, records show.

Zimmerman successfully completed the program, paid $830 in fines, and his guilty plea and both May complaints were both vacated, records show.

Zimmerman’s attorney would not comment about his client.