Photo: Image of suspect vehicle at scene of arrest | Lafayette PD
LAFAYETTE — A Colorado man who allegedly robbed a gas station in downtown Lafayette is in custody ineligible for release on bond. Kevin J. Chico, 36, of Denver, was apprehended after the getaway car crashed into a drainage ditch.
The getaway car was previously reported stolen during a carjacking in a neighboring state. LPD officers arrested Chico on August 24. He remains behind bars at the Martinez Detention Facility, pending a court hearing on September 6.
A gas station employee flagged down a patrol officer shortly after the midday robbery occurred. It happened at Lafayette Chevron, 3632 Mount Diablo Boulevard. The robber brandished a knife and demanded money.
An officer attempted a traffic stop as the suspect fled, at times driving eastbound and at times driving westbound. The vehicle eventually crashed after turning onto a dead-end residential street.
The suspect abandoned the car and attempted to flee the crash scene on foot. He ran up a steep hill, but officers quickly caught up with him. Turns out, Chico was subject to electronic home detention for pending misdemeanor charges in another jurisdiction.
Chico is facing four charges, including escape from pending misdemeanor charges/electronic home detention. For what happened in Lafayette, he is charged with second-degree robbery and use of a deadly weapon. His fourth charge is for fleeing a pursuing officer while driving recklessly.
