Kevin Cichowski, a 46-year-old Palm Coast resident who recently filed to run for governor, was arrested Friday after deputies say he battered two elderly people inside a home, striking one of them with a cane. Deputies say the victims were hiding when officers arrived and that Cichowski surrendered without incident.
Deputies were called to a home on Cleveland Court after a 911 caller reported the assault and said Cichowski had threatened to kill the victims and would kill law enforcement if they were called, as reported by WESH. According to the station, the caller said Cichowski struck one victim with a cane, threw a cellphone at the other, and that one of the victims was bedridden.
What the sheriff's office says
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office says deputies ordered Cichowski to surrender, he complied, and was taken into custody, according to a department release republished by the Palm Coast Observer. Officials arrested Cichowski on multiple counts, including two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, two counts of battery on a person over 65, tampering with a witness and two counts of robbery by sudden snatching, and say he made suicidal statements while being transported and was placed under a Baker Act evaluation.
Campaign filing and past court fight
State records show Cichowski filed as a Democratic candidate for governor on March 24, 2026, listing 37 Cleveland Court in Palm Coast as his address, according to the Florida Division of Elections. He was arrested in 2024 on domestic-violence-related charges, but a jury acquitted him in October 2025, FlaglerLive reported. His campaign website lists contact information and had not posted a message about Friday's arrest as of the evening.
What's next
The sheriff's release says Cichowski was booked at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and placed into protective custody for evaluation, according to WESH. Prosecutors are expected to review the sheriff's report before deciding whether to file formal charges and to set court dates. Any upcoming hearings will appear in county court records.
