Suspect in Fairbanks assault turns himself in

A suspect on the run turned himself in at the Winter Park Police Station last Monday night after an apparent life-threatening altercation with his wife off of Fairbanks Avenue earlier that day.

Robert Potchen had been arguing with his wife in a parking lot when he allegedly drew a silver handgun from his Ford pickup truck and forced her to get inside his vehicle. Bystander Jamison Koczar witnessed the standoff, intervened and took Potchen’s wife into the storefront of Ivanhoe Broadcast News Inc. nearby.

They both took shelter in an office and locked the door behind them as police say Potchen gave chase while aiming his firearm. He then broke the window doorframe at Ivanhoe Broadcast News and fled the scene in his truck after employees refused to unlock the office door, according to the Winter Park Police arrest report.

Police say Potchen stole a cell phone from another bystander nearby for an unknown reason before driving off.

“She’s extremely lucky that she did not get injured,” said Sgt. John Bologna of the Winter Park Police Department. “From what I understand he did point a firearm at her and forced her into his vehicle.”

“Luckily for her the good Samaritan who happened to be nearby got her out of the car and brought her into safety.”

Potchen has been charged with kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, battery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, damaging property, burglary with assault or battery and aggravated battery.