Prosecutors say a North Chicago woman struck two people with her car, leaving one victim hospitalized with a head injury, during a disturbance at a gas station in Park City.
Gwendolyn Thompson, 32, of North Chicago, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.
The Park City Police Department was called on March 18 to a disturbance at a Shell gas station.
Officers found two victims, one of which was on the ground bleeding from the head, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Manuel Mandujano.
Officers learned Thompson was in a black Mercedes SUV when she struck the first victim with her car and fled the scene, Mandujano said.
An employee of the gas station told officers that Thompson had come into the gas station to attempt to exchange cigarettes.
Mandujano said the employee refused and Thompson became irate and knocked items onto the floor.
A witness provided video of the incident and it showed Thompson back out of a parking spot, knocking one of the victims to the ground, Mandujano said.
Mandujano said another video from a second witness showed the first and second victims at the rear of Thompson’s vehicle in an attempt to stop her from leaving.
Thompson got out of the car and approached both victims before getting back in her vehicle.
A third person opened the driver’s door and held it open while trying to stop Thompson from fleeing the scene before police arrived.
Mandujano said Thompson bit the third person on his arm and then tried backing up with the door open while the two people were standing behind the car.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Stella Day said Thompson struck two of the subjects, including a female victim, who sustained a head injury that required multiple staples at the hospital.
Attorney Javaron Buckley said that Thompson was unaware the victims were behind the car.
Buckley said Thompson was being attacked and trying to escape the situation.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak kept Thompson’s bond at $250,000 during a bond review hearing last week.
Thompson remains held in the Lake County Jail and would need to post $25,000 cash to be released.
An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.