Fla. Gubernatorial Candidate Accused of Assaul*ing Elderly Parents, Making Alarming Bodycam Statements

Kevin Cichowski allegedly battered his elderly parents by hitting one with a cane and throwing a cellphone at another, according to police

A gubernatorial candidate in Florida is facing criminal charges following an incident involving his elderly parents, according to authorities. Officials say law enforcement responded to the situation and are continuing to investigate what occurred.

On Friday, April 10, police were called to a home in Palm Coast on a report of a man who had allegedly battered two elderly victims inside, hitting one with a cane and throwing a cellphone at the other, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The 911 caller, who was one of the alleged victims, told the dispatcher that Kevin Cichowski, 46, allegedly had a gun and “threatened to kill them multiple times and stated he would kill law enforcement if they were called,” per the statement.

When deputies arrived at the residence, the two alleged victims were hiding in a bedroom and said they couldn’t leave the house because one of them was bedridden.

The deputies escorted the elderly residents out of the house to safety before taking Cichowski into custody on the back patio, as seen in bodycam footage obtained by 12 News.

While he was being led in handcuffs out to a line of patrol cars waiting along the street, Cichowski could be heard saying, “I can’t believe this is happening. Just don’t let me die.”

He added, “My father tried to kill me already this morning.”

He then said, “I haven’t done anything wrong. This is insane.”

When Cichowski asked why he was being taken in, the deputy replied, “You’re just being detained until we get this figured out.”

As the two walked toward the line of cars, Cichowski remarked, “Well, I was running for governor.”

During the drive to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, Cichowski allegedly made suicidal statements and was placed into protective custody under a Baker Act, the sheriff’s office said.

Cichowski is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of battery on a person over 65, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, tampering with a witness and two counts of robbery by sudden snatching.

Cichowski was previously arrested in 2024 for alleged domestic battery, domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment, according to the statement.

He is presently running for election for Governor of Florida, and previously ran for Palm Coast mayor in 2021.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said after the arrest that he was glad the elderly residents were safe.

“When responding to a situation where a suspect has a weapon and has threatened to kill the victims and law enforcement, it’s critical that we do everything we can to safely de-escalate the situation and quickly rescue the victims from immediate danger,” Staly said in the statement. “I commend our deputies, RTCC analysts, and the 911 dispatchers for working together for a safe resolution and arrest the suspect before the situation escalated to a violent ending.”

Cichowski remains held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, according to online jail records.

It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.