Police charge man with carjacking at Pilot Truck Stop

Police have charged a Mabus man with carjacking and other offenses following a bizarre incident Monday.

Police Chief Chris Robertson said officers were called to the Pilot Truck Stop about 8 a.m. Monday because of a subject who had been acting suspiciously. He had been wandering around the store, loitering too long and would not leave.

Officers arrived and approached the man, asking who he was.

Robertson said the officers did not immediately arrest the man but continued to ask questions about his identity. Some of the officers thought they had dealt with the man before and that he was giving contradictory and false information.

He was not accused of a crime at this point but was acting suspiciously.

When it apparently became clear that officers were not leaving, the man suddenly ran out the door and jumped into the driver’s seat of a car that was being fueled. The female driver, who was on the other side of the car leaning into the vehicle, screamed and the man jumped out and ran.

With officers close behind, the man was tased and quickly taken into custody after the short chase.

Derick Starks, 44, is charged with carjacking, providing false information to law enforcement and failure to comply. He was in jail Tuesday with bond for the carjacking charge set at $10,000. The other two charges are misdemeanors.