Granite City Man Charged With Stealing Fuel From School District, Fleeing Police

GRANITE CITY – A Granite City 19-year-old accused of stealing motor vehicle fuel from the Madison Community School District and fleeing from officers in separate incidents faces several felony charges.

Christian J. Thebeau, 19, of Granite City, was charged in one case with two counts of theft on Jan. 5, 2026, including one Class 2 felony count and one Class 3 felony count. From Jan. 1-3, 2026, Thebeau allegedly knowingly stole over $500 worth of motor vehicle fuel from the Madison Community School District.

Thebeau was also charged in two other Madison County felony cases filed on Jan. 5, 2026. In both cases, he faces Class 3 felony counts of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer; in the latter case, he is additionally charged with offenses related to motor vehicles.

On Jan. 3, 2026, Thebeau reportedly failed to obey a visual or audible signal from a police officer to stop the vehicle he was driving, with his attempted flight exceeding 21 miles per hour over the area’s legal speed limit. Charging documents note he had previously been convicted in 2025 of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, also in Madison County.

In the third case filed against Thebeau, he is accused of knowingly possessing a stolen Dodge Ram and attempting to flee from an officer at more than 21 miles per hour over the legal speed limit on Dec. 5, 2025.

According to multiple petitions to deny his pretrial release from custody filed in each of these cases by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, Thebeau was identified in the first case as the driver of a vehicle used to steal motor vehicle fuel before fleeing from officers.

“Officers located the vehicle and attempted a stop and defendant fled, crashing the suspect vehicle and fleeing on foot,” the first petition states, noting he was on probation from a 2024 felony case at the time of this offense.

In the second case, Thebeau was reportedly for probation violations and a recent theft when he fled from another attempted traffic stop at 60 mph in a 25 mph residential zone, “disregarding a stop sign and crashing into a tree” before fleeing on foot.

Thebeau allegedly used a stolen vehicle to flee from officers in the third case before once again fleeing on foot, according to the third petition, which states Thebeau was identified as the driver by a passenger of the stolen vehicle.

The Madison Police Department presented the motor fuel theft case against Thebeau, who currently remains in custody at the Madison County Jail.

The Metro East Auto Theft Task Force presented Thebeau’s case involving a stolen motor vehicle, while the Madison County Sheriff’s Office presented his latest case of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude police.

All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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