The Denver woman accused of stealing a car with her 3-year-old daughter sitting beside her and the car’s owner clutching the hood will face a charge of first-degree attempted murder with extreme indifference, the Denver district attorney’s office announced Thursday afternoon.
Authorities also confirmed the woman’s identity: Kim Lucero, 26, who has a history of mental illness and run-ins with law enforcement, public records show.
She was arrested Wednesday in Douglas, Wyo., where the 1995 Nissan Maxima broke down about three hours after it was taken from a Subway sandwich shop at 303 S. Broadway in Denver.
Denver prosecutors said Thursday that the keys had been left inside and the doors were unlocked.
The car’s owner, Ryan Calles, 31, of Lakewood, remains in serious condition at Denver Health Medical Center.
Calles hung onto the hood for 13 blocks as the car raced away at speeds up to 60 mph, until he was thrown off as the Nissan rounded a corner at a fast speed. Police said he hit his head hard on the ground.
Calles was eating with friends when he saw a woman with a young girl get into his car and start to pull away. He ran out and jumped on the hood, witnesses said.
In addition to felony car theft and attempted murder charges, Lucero also is charged with first-degree assault with extreme indifference, first-degree assault with intent to cause serious bodily injury and aggravated motor-vehicle theft resulting in bodily injury.
The DA’s office began steps Thursday to have Lucero extradited from Wyoming.
Lucero’s troubled history includes walking into the Denver County Jail in April and falsely claiming that she had committed a murder. She was held for a mental evaluation but was not charged with an offense.
The father of Lucero’s child, John Chavez, told 9News on Thursday that he was in Wyoming to retrieve his daughter from protective custody. Despite Lucero’s past, Chavez said Wednesday’s turn of events surprised him.
“I almost fainted, and I said, ‘Oh, my God,’ ” he said. “I started calling around, and my family rushed to my house.”
Chavez said he first noticed Lucero’s mental illness last Halloween. “She started saying, ‘I’m hearing God’s voice — literally,’ ” he said.
