A masked gunman who allegedly robbed a taco restaurant in Garden City, Kansas, was identified by investigators as a 49-year-old man already suspected in another armed robbery, and three days later a traffic stop turned into a lengthy police pursuit that ended with officers finding a gun and taking him into custody.
The YouTube channel Midwest Safety reviewed bodycam and dashcam footage from the July 2024 case, identifying the suspect as Albert and reporting that investigators connected him not only to the taco-shop robbery but also to an earlier robbery at a jewelry store.
Although the original robbery was carried out by a masked suspect, investigators were apparently able to identify Albert quickly enough that officers recognized the vehicle he was riding in just days later, setting off a pursuit that moved from city streets onto rural roads before finally ending with his arrest.
Officers Spot Albert Three Days After The Robbery
Midwest Safety said the taco-shop robbery happened on July 1, 2024, when a masked man entered the Garden City restaurant armed with a gun and confronted employees.
Investigators later identified the suspect as Albert, who was also being looked at in connection with another armed robbery earlier that year.
Three days later, on July 4, officers on patrol spotted Albert in a silver Lincoln Navigator and moved in to make a traffic stop.
Bodycam and radio traffic show officers treating the encounter as a high-risk stop almost immediately, ordering the driver to shut off the vehicle and put his hands outside the window.
Instead, the Navigator drove away.
One officer quickly announced that they were in pursuit, while others began coordinating over the radio and warning nearby units that Albert was believed to be a robbery suspect.
The chase initially moved through Garden City at relatively low speeds, with officers repeatedly using a loudspeaker to order Albert to stop.
Pursuit Moves Through City Streets
As the chase continued, officers gave constant updates about traffic conditions, speed and direction of travel, while one officer also reported that Albert appeared to be reaching toward the center-console area of the SUV.
That detail clearly increased the concern level because officers were already looking for a man suspected of committing an armed robbery.
At one point, a female passenger got out of the vehicle and ran while Albert continued driving, forcing police to split their attention between the fleeing SUV and the woman who had left it.
The pursuit then wound through residential streets before eventually moving toward Highway 50.
Speeds increased as the Navigator left the city, reaching around 70 mph on stretches of road where traffic was lighter.
Officers requested permission to use a tactical vehicle intervention if an opportunity presented itself, showing that the chase had gone on long enough for police to begin looking for a controlled way to force the SUV to stop.
One attempt was unsuccessful.
The pursuit continued onto rural roads, where officers also discussed setting up spike strips farther ahead.
Chase Ends With Albert On The Ground
The footage eventually cuts to the end of the pursuit, where officers surrounded Albert and ordered him not to move.
He was bleeding from his hands, and officers suggested the injuries may have been related to a Taser or the manner in which the chase ended.
Police rolled him over, handcuffed him and began checking him for weapons.
An officer then announced that he had found a gun.
The weapon was taken away and secured in a patrol vehicle while officers continued checking Albert and arranging medical attention.
Considering that police had repeatedly reported seeing Albert move toward the center console during the chase, the discovery of a firearm would have been particularly significant to officers approaching him after the vehicle finally stopped.
Midwest Safety did not present the pursuit as a minor traffic matter that escalated unexpectedly; from the beginning, officers believed they were dealing with an armed-robbery suspect and responded accordingly.
Search Leads To A Long List Of Charges
Albert was taken to the Finney County Jail and initially held on a $100,000 cash bond, according to Midwest Safety.
The channel reported that a search of the Navigator also turned up numerous items of drug paraphernalia, and the criminal case quickly expanded far beyond the original restaurant robbery.
Albert was charged with two counts of robbery, four counts of aggravated assault, three counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, theft by threat involving property valued between $25,000 and $100,000, and multiple drug-distribution offenses.
Those drug charges included alleged distribution of heroin, certain hallucinogens and marijuana.
He was also charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police involving five or more moving violations, criminal threat, interference with law enforcement and aggravated robbery.
That list reflects how a case that began with one masked robbery can become much larger once investigators connect a suspect to separate incidents, vehicle evidence, weapons and alleged drugs.
Witness Intimidation Allegation Adds Another Case
The legal trouble did not stop with the July arrest.
Midwest Safety said that in August 2024, while Albert was awaiting trial, a witness reported that Albert had threatened him.
That allegation led to additional charges including aggravated intimidation of a witness, aggravated assault, criminal threat and criminal damage to property.
His bond was then increased by another $50,000, bringing the total to $150,000.
Witness intimidation allegations are especially serious because they raise concerns not simply about the original crime but about attempts to interfere with the court process itself.
In a case already involving allegations of armed robbery and a police pursuit, the additional accusation made the prosecution substantially more complicated.
Plea Deal Ends The Case
The case remained pending for roughly a year before reaching a resolution.
In July 2025, Midwest Safety reported that Albert entered a plea deal and was found guilty of two counts of robbery, while the remaining charges were dismissed as part of the agreement.
He was sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the channel.
His earliest release date was listed as August 2035 with good standing.
The plea agreement closed a case that had begun with a masked man entering a taco restaurant and ended with a multi-agency pursuit, a gun recovery and a long list of criminal allegations.
It also shows how little protection a mask can provide when investigators have other ways to identify a suspect, whether through witnesses, surveillance, vehicle information or connections to earlier crimes.
By the time officers spotted Albert in the Lincoln Navigator three days after the taco-shop robbery, police already knew who they believed they were looking for, and the attempt to flee only added another dangerous chapter before the case finally moved into court.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
