Brookside crime spree suspect caught after allegedly committing more crimes, causing chase
A man who allegedly fired shots during an attempted robbery in Waldo and engaged Kansas City police in a gun battle in Brookside has been captured after committing additional crimes, a police spokesman said Friday morning.
The man, whose identity has not been released but is awaiting formal charges, was captured Friday morning in Daviess County after allegedly committing crimes there and leading Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers on a chase, said Sgt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman with the Kansas City Police Department.
Troopers took him into custody off Interstate 35 near Winston, Missouri, he said.
“This was quite an elaborate series of events that took place last night and this morning,” said Becchina, who added there was a lot of community concern in the Brookside and Waldo area.
“We felt it was important to let the community know that we believe this person has been apprehended that is responsible for that series of crimes overnight and into this morning,” he said. “They will be facing charges both here and in Daviess County once investigators coordinate to compile all of the investigative findings and put together a case file for prosecutors to consider and that will be coming shortly.”
The crime spree began around 9 p.m. Thursday at the McDonald’s fast food restaurant at 83rd Street and Wornall Road, Becchina said. The man allegedly fired shots at employees during the robbery and then at an occupied vehicle after leaving the business.
About an hour later, officers following up on the robbery investigation spotted the vehicle thought to have been used near Brookside Boulevard and Meyer Boulevard. The suspected allegedly fired a gun at the officers, who then returned fire, Becchina said.
The suspect fled into a parking lot and carjacked a couple and fired more shots at officers chasing him. Those officers returned fire before he fled the area.
Kara Selley, a bartender at Jalapeno’s Mexican Restaurant, said she and other employees were in the parking lot when she saw a man running with police officers chasing him. She hopped on her scooter to get a better view and heard gunshots. Officers appeared to pat themselves to make sure they had not been hit, she said.
One of the cooks from the restaurant had his car door open so they could listen to music and the man got in the vehicle and took off.
“It was insane,” Selley said.
Dozens of patrol vehicles responded.
Shortly after, another police agency found the carjacked vehicle abandoned near 73rd Street and Cherokee Road in Prairie Village.
Police conducted an extensive search of the area, but were not able to find the man, Becchina said. This morning, Kansas City police were notified that two additional robberies took place near West 69th Street and Pennsylvania. In one, clothes were taken and in the other, a vehicle was taken at gunpoint.
“We were reasonably certain that the subject of interest from last night was involved in the events this morning,” Becchina said.
Several surrounding law enforcement agencies were aware of the crime spree in Kansas City and between 8 and 9 a.m., Kansas City police were notified that some crimes occurred in Winston, Missouri, about an hour north of Kansas City in Daviess County.
The Daviess County Sheriff’s Office reported that a series of crimes had been committed there Thursday night and Friday morning, including an additional robbery and home invasion where a vehicle was stolen.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol became involved and pursued the stolen vehicle. Eventually, the individual allegedly got out of the stolen vehicle and tried to run away from troopers, but he was taken into custody. He was being held at the Daviess County jail.
“Our investigators have responded up there and we’re partnering with them to conduct further investigation as to the involvement of the individual with crimes here in our city overnight and this morning as well as partnering with them for the series of crimes that took place up there leading to him being taken into custody,” Becchina said.
It was unknown if he was armed at the time of his arrest, but he allegedly was armed while committing the robberies during the crime spree, Becchina said.
“No bones about it, this was a dangerous, dangerous individual and for him to be brought into custody without further people being traumatized and victims of crime and potentially even injured, we’re all very thankful for that today,” Becchina said.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch contributed to this story.
