One jailed, charges may be pending against another in Rock Falls gas station robbery

ROCK FALLS – A parolee who police say robbed the 12th Avenue Mobil Wednesday evening with a BB gun is in Whiteside County Jail today, and his girlfriend, who was driving the getaway car when she jumped out of the fleeing vehicle, is out of the hospital, Chief Tammy Nelson said this afternoon.

Brandon S. Hornback, 36, is charged in Whiteside County Court with aggravated robbery, which carries 4 to 15 years in prison, two counts of aggravated fleeing and one count of leaving the scene of an injury accident, all of which carry 1 to 3 years.

He also is charged with driving on a revoked license and three counts of disregarding a stop sign.

His initial appearance is set for 1 today, at which time bond will be set.

A petition to revoke his parole also will be filed.

According to Illinois Department of Corrections records, Hornback was paroled Feb. 5 on a 2015 Sangamon County conviction for aggravated DUI and driving on a suspended license; he was sentenced to 5 years 6 months in that case.

He was released to IDOC Parole District 3; court records have him living in Lyndon, which is is in Parole District 2; Rock Falls police identified him as being from Monmouth, which is in Parole District 3. Nelson was not sure where he was living most recently.

According to the chief and a news release sent this morning:

When officers arrived at the Mobil at 201 12th Ave. around 6 p.m., the two had fled.

A Whiteside County deputy attempted to pull over a westbound vehicle matching the description on U.S. Route 30 near Ruffit Park west of town, a short pursuit ensued and the woman jumped out of the running vehicle on the driver's side and was run over on Ridge Road, which is near the Hennepin Canal.

The pursuit continued, and the vehicle was stopped around 6:20 p.m. with tire-deflation devices. Hornback was arrested, and the BB gun and about $1,000 in cash taken from the gas station was recovered.

The woman, who Nelson is not yet identifying because of the ongoing investigation, was treated at CGH Medical Center and released.

Charges against her may be pending, the release said.

Hornback has a lengthy and geographically diverse felony history:

He was sentenced to 5 years in Fulton County in 2011 for knowingly damaging property; to 4 years in Whiteside County in 2008 for forgery (at that time, he was living in Morrison); to 9 years in McLean County in 2004 for burglary; to 6 years in 2001 in Peoria County for aggravated DUI resulting in great bodily harm; and, also in 2001 in Tazewell County, to 6 years for burglary and 3 years for theft.