A 26-year-old Downey man has been arrested on suspicion of violently robbing and attacking a Lyft driver more than a week ago at a South El Monte gas station, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials said on Thursday, May, 20.
Dandre Lorenz Powell was arrested Tuesday, May 18, during a traffic stop in Paramount, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Powell faces charges of first-degree robbery, elder abuse during commission of a violent crime, felon in possession of a firearm, and felon in possession of ammunition, sheriff officials said.
His bail was $2 million.
Sheriff’s officials said footage taken by 67-year-old Paul Liao’s dashcam was key to the identification of the suspect. Detectives said they had a good idea who the suspect was about an hour after viewing the footage.
“That was the number one piece of evidence we had in identifying who this individual was,” sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Lewis said. “Utilizing past records and booking photos, we came up with a positive identification.”
Using cell phone records, detectives learned Powell was staying at a Motel 6 in Paramount. U.S. Marshal’s pulled him over shortly after he left the hotel on Tuesday.
Powell has a long violent criminal history, sheriff officials said, and was in possession of a firearm at the time of his arrest.
“You can tell on the video our victim is frightened, he is scared to death,” Lewis said. “An elderly person was attacked, brazenly, in his vehicle in front of a business.”
Powell was accused of entering Liao’s parked car about 9:20 p.m., May 10, at an Arco gas station near Rosemead Boulevard and Rush Street.
Seen on the dashcam video brandishing a pistol and wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap, the suspect grabs Liao’s cell phone from the dashboard and also snatches $1,560 out of Liao’s hand as Liao sat in the driver’s seat.
The suspect twice hits Liao on the right side of his nose with the gun before fleeing.
Liao has told reporters that he had just finished washing the car and was waiting for his next fare when the attack occurred. Liao also said the suspect wanted to take the car, but Liao persuaded him it was keyless and he wouldn’t be able to drive it.
Christine Ting, Liao’s daughter-in-law, was told by Liao that the suspect said several times, “Go back to China.” Liao told the suspect he was from Taiwan.
Powell is currently not facing a hate-crime charge. Lewis has confirmed the suspect asked Liao if he was from China, but authorities did not know if Liao was specifically targeted because of his race.
Ting, in an update Wednesday on a GoFundMe page to help raise money for Liao’s medical costs and to recoup the stolen money, said he was making good progress physically and emotionally, but still cycling through emotions.
“We are making sure he is focusing on the brighter side of things and not be discouraged by any negativity that has risen from the incident,” Ting wrote.
In one week, the page had raised more than $32,000.
Staff writer Sean Emery contributed to this report.