Stolen Car Gas Pump Snafu In Skokie Lands Downstate Man In Jail

SKOKIE, IL — A man filling a stolen SUV with gasoline Tuesday in Skokie failed to disconnect the pump before driving away, authorities said.

Witnesses called the cops, and the man took off running, but he was soon apprehended nearby by arriving officers as he tried to flee, according to police and prosecutors. He now finds himself in Cook County Jail facing two new felonies and a misdemeanor to add to an existing warrant.

Malik Castle, 21, of the 2300 block of Bostic Drive in Charleston, has been charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance and resisting a police officer, authorities said. He had an existing warrant issued by authorities in Clark County in connection with a charge of driving with a suspended license.

Police were called to the Mobil gas station, 4802 Dempster St., shortly before 8 p.m. for a report of a possible hit-and-run traffic crash where the driver of a stolen Honda CRV had left the scene on foot, prosecutors said at a bond hearing Wednesday.

"It wasn't actually a hit-and-run, but the vehicle was driving away from the pump as the gas was still pumping," Assistant State's Attorney Gina Pensa said.

The first officer to arrive got a photo of the departed driver from a witness and provided a description to dispatchers. Other officers located Castle, who matched witness' "exact description" and photo, Pensa said.

The uniformed police officers tried to speak with Castle, but "he jumped up and ran away requiring the officers to chase after him on foot," the prosecutor said. She said Castle then tried to get into another car and flee, but the officers were able to catch up with him and arrest him.

Police said they arrested Castle in the 4800 block of Lee Street, about 650 yards south of the gas station.

---

Castle admitted knowing that the car he was driving was stolen, according to Pensa. A search after he was taken into custody turned up 8.2 grams of suspected crack cocaine.

Under Illinois law, possession of up to 15 grams of cocaine is a class 4 felony punishable by up to 3 years in prison.

According to the public safety assessment from pretrial services, part of the Cook County Chief Judge's Office, Castle's "new criminal activity" rating was the highest possible.

The prosecutor said Castle was convicted of robbery in 2019 and was sentenced to 30 months of probation. Earlier this year, she said, he was convicted of criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor, and received 12 months supervision.

Castle's court-appointed defense attorney said at Wednesday's hearing that the 21-year-old works for Door Dash and has completed one year of college.

Castle was ordered held in lieu of a $5,000 cash payment for the new charges and an additional $200 for the Clark County driving on a suspended license warrant. As of Friday, he remained detained at Cook County Jail, according to the sheriff's office. He is due back in court Oct. 13 for a bond review hearing in Skokie.