LaSalle County, Illinois – 19-year-old Malachi C. Hankins of Streator has two open cases in LaSalle County Circuit Court: a felony case with two counts of aggravated fleeing, and a major traffic case with six counts. Both list an offense date of October 5, 2026, and both were filed October 6.
Status
The felony case returns to court November 18, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 210 before Judge Michelle A. Vescogni for appearance with counsel/arraignment. The traffic case has a first appearance on November 16, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 110.
Felony case: 2026CF000456
Filed October 6, 2026, by information in the Criminal Felony division before Judge Vescogni. The docket lists two counts, both Class 4 and both with an offense date of October 5, 2026:
- Count 1: AGG FLEEING POLICE/21 MPH OVER, 625 ILCS 5/11-204.1(a)(1)
- Count 2: AGG FLEEING/2+ CON DEVICES, 625 ILCS 5/11-204.1(a)(4)
No bond is marked on either count.
Timeline
- October 5, 2026: Offense date listed on both counts.
- October 6, 2026: Charges filed. The State filed a verified petition for conditions of pretrial release. At the hearing before Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr., Hankins was present and in custody, represented by Public Defender Ryan Hamer for that hearing only. He was advised of the charges and possible punishment, and admonished of the consequences of a guilty judgment and the possibility of deportation. He said he will seek private counsel. The parties presented an agreed order for conditions of release, which was entered, along with a GPS electronic monitoring order. By agreement, the case was continued to November 18, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. for appearance with counsel/arraignment.
- October 7, 2026: An arrest fingerprint card was entered.
Assistant State’s Attorney Matt Kidder appeared for the State.
Major traffic case: 2026MT001182
Filed October 6, 2026. The docket lists six counts, each with an offense date of October 5, 2026, and Richland Township as the agency:
- Count 1: Speeding 35+ MPH over limit, 625 ILCS 5/11-601.5(b), Class A
- Count 2: Reckless driving, 625 ILCS 5/11-503(a)(1), Class A
- Count 3: Operating wipers without headlights, 625 ILCS 5/12-201(b), Class P
- Count 4: Fail to obey stop sign, 625 ILCS 5/11-904(b), Class P
- Count 5: Improper traffic lane usage, 625 ILCS 5/11-709(a), Class P
- Count 6: Improper turn at intersection, 625 ILCS 5/11-804(a), Class P
A notice to appear was issued October 6, 2026, with a first appearance set for November 16, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 110. The docket lists no bond or custody information for this case.
What the dockets don’t say
Neither docket describes what happened on October 5. The specific conditions of release are not listed, and no trial dates have been set in either case.
This article is based on LaSalle County Circuit Court records. A criminal charge is an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. This article will be updated as the cases progress.