PHOTO: Chico PD
CHICO — A man was arrested last week after a bizarre set of circumstances involving collisions and false accusations of kidnapping.
Just after 1 PM on Monday, September 9, a caller reported that a man — later identified as 43-year-old Nathan Lowe — had approached him and claimed that his girlfriend had been kidnapped by someone driving a stolen white Toyota.
Lowe then left the scene in his vehicle, described as a maroon pickup.
Around twenty minutes later, dispatch received a call call from a woman about an accident in the area of Highway 32 and Bruce Road, in which Lowe had intentionally collided with her in his pickup and had accused her of kidnapping his girlfriend.
Fortunately, the victim did not sustain serious injuries. Nor did she have anything to do with an alleged kidnapping.
Officers canvassing the area found Lowe driving in the area of Highway 32 and Forest Avenue and attempted a traffic stop, which failed. Lowe then led officers on a six-mile pursuit through city streets, prompting cautionary lockdowns at Little Chico Creek Elementary, Hank Marsh Junor High, and Parkview Elementary School.
Officers were eventually able to immobilize Lowe’s vehicle near Wittmeier Auto Center and take him into custody without further incident.
After being medically cleared, he was booked into the Butte County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, felony reckless evasion in a vehicle, and resisting arrest.
