Woman accused of ‘deliberately’ hitting IDOT worker who was directing traffic in Marengo is released pretrial

A woman who prosecutors have said “deliberately” hit an Illinois Department of Transportation worker in Marengo with her vehicle was granted pretrial release Friday with conditions, including that she not drive.

Starlet A. Stoffel, 30, of Shannon in Carroll County is charged with aggravated battery in a public place and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, each a Class 3 felony, according to the criminal complaint in McHenry County court.

In arguing that Stoffel be detained pretrial in the McHenry County jail, Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Miller said she is dangerous to everyone in the state.

She “deliberately struck an innocent road worker,” Miller said. Additionally, he said, in March 2023, an ex-boyfriend filed an order of protection against her in Stevenson County, which she has repeatedly violated. After being served with the order, she painted obscene messages on the sidewalk outside the courthouse. Two days later, she returned to the courthouse and was caught with more paint, Miller said. When a sheriff’s deputy told her to leave, she refused and was arrested, Miller said, adding that during this incident, she called 911 on the deputy who asked her to leave.

Stoffel also is currently on 30 months of probation for felony criminal damage to property. That charge was filed after she went to her ex-boyfriend’s house and threw a concrete paver at the windshield of a vehicle that belonged to his new girlfriend. Stoffel also hit it with a plastic baseball bat, Miller said.

The new charges stem from July 10, when an IDOT crew was out resurfacing the westbound lane of Grant Highway. At least six witnesses saw Stoffel stop when the IDOT worker held up a stop sign instructing her and a line of vehicles behind her to do so, Miller said. Stoffel rolled down her window, argued with the worker, and then, as he walked toward her, she allegedly “hit her gas and hit him,” Miller said.

The worker rolled onto the hood of the vehicle and off onto the side of the road, suffering serious injuries including bruised bones and a back injury for which he may need surgery, Miller said, adding that, fortunately, the crew member had no broken bones or a head injury.

When police approached Stoffel afterward, Miller said, she appeared to be unaffected by hitting the man and was not upset or crying. She asked whether the officer was “from the multiverse,” Miller said. She was taken to a hospital for a psychological evaluation that day, according to earlier reports.

Miller acknowledged that Stoffel is dealing with some mental health issues and said he is “sympathetic” but asserted that she “committed a violent crime against a complete stranger.”

Miller said he was asking that she be detained “to protect the community.”

Assistant Public Defender Gene Wilson said that at the time she allegedly struck the worker, “she appeared to be in some type of mental health crisis.” Wilson said Stoffel said the car “could not stop” and that she was telling the worker that as he walked toward her and was hit. Wilson said Stoffel suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety and that she has bipolar disorder and autism. At that point, Stoffel interrupted and said she does not have bipolar disorder and that she has been following her Stevenson County probation “to a T.” That probation includes mental health treatment and taking medication, the prosecutor had said in his argument, suggesting that she was not doing that.

When Miller was questioned by Judge Carl Metz whether he had proof that she was not complying with probation, Miller said: “One of two things is true: either she is not taking her medication and doing her treatment or they are not working.”

Stoffel said she has a treatment plan and has been following it and sees a psychiatrist and therapist. She also said she had psychosis induced by marijuana use.

Metz said that it is evident she committed the detainable offense and poses a threat, but he has no proof of whether she is following the conditions of her probation. He released her with several conditions, including that she not drive, that she turn in her driver’s license to the court and get an Illinois ID card within a week, that she not leave the state without permission, not approach or communicate with the alleged victim, obtain a psychological evaluation within 21 days and comply with all recommendations. She also will be on electric monitoring and have a curfew. She must be home between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., Metz said.

Stoffel is due in court Aug. 15.