LUBBOCK, Texas — Keith Kalka, 59, pleaded guilty Wednesday to Attempting Kidnapping at the federal level after stealing a Lubbock Police Department vehicle and coercing a student at Texas Tech University to get inside the stolen vehicle.
EverythingLubbock.com previously reported that the incident occurred in January 2024. While an officer was responding to a call to the Food King in the 2700 block of 26th Street, Kalka left the store, got into the marked unit and drove away.
Previous coverage:
- Lubbock man stole police vehicle, told student at Texas Tech she was under arrest
- ‘Wanted to become famous:’ Man stole Lubbock PD unit, arrests TTU student to use as hostage
The police report acquired by EverythingLubbock.com showed that Kalka claimed he went to stand outside the officer’s vehicle when he decided to “become famous and steal the police vehicle.”
Kalka drove away while the officer on scene was yelling at him not to steal the vehicle. He then used the police radio to avoid officers and drove through the Texas Tech campus and into the Jones AT&T Stadium. While on campus, Kalka approached a female student and falsely identified himself as a police officer, and indicated she was under arrest.
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Kalka then drove the student to a convenience store in the 2400 block of the Marsha Sharp Freeway. He was later found after an officer observed Kalka turning west onto the 2500 block of 26th Street from University Avenue…