Boston terrier seized in Wasilla robbery

TRACY KALYTIAK/Frontiersman staff

Three men, one of whom was brandishing a long gun, burst into a Wasilla apartment Thursday afternoon and left with cash, prescription drugs and Mugs, the victim's black-and-white Boston terrier, Wasilla police said Monday.

The incident at Kalli Circle occurred at about 4:54 p.m. The men who forced their way inside the apartment were described as white, in their late teens or early 20s and all were wearing hooded sweatshirts.

The victim, a man in his early 50s, was alone when he answered a knock at the door, Officer Kelly Swihart said, and the three men pushed their way past him. One man had on a gray sweatshirt, another wore a yellow one and the third had on a red sweatshirt, Swihart said.

Swihart said the bandits took with them the man's methadone, OxyContin and the rest of the medication they found in the apartment.

"Even things like vitamins were taken," Swihart said. "I would say they knew [the prescription medications] were in there, that there was a good potential those things were in there."

Swihart declined to say whether anyone was injured during the home invasion incident.

The officer did say, however, that the men apparently parked in an adjoining apartment complex and walked over to the victim's apartment, which is located in a new complex north of Iditarod Elementary School.

"We saw some shoe impressions and we got some witnesses that watched them walk to and back," Swihart said. "We had one guy who saw what he thought was a gun - the time frames, descriptions match up."

Witnesses apparently gave varying descriptions of the gun - some referring to it as a rifle, others as a shotgun. There was also a question about whether the men were wearing hooded sweatshirts or masks.

There was no indication the dog was hurt, Swihart said.

"I don't think the dog is really capable of doing anything, it's a four- or five-pound Boston terrier. They took it with them."

Swihart said that while there have not been any similar incidents in the Kalli Circle area recently, home invasions do happen regularly.

"It's not an uncommon occurrence, it's just uncommon for downtown Wasilla at four in the afternoon," Swihart said. "I think there is probably more of this stuff that does not get reported."

Swihart said this kind of home-invasion incident can usually be prevented with a little common sense.

"You don't just randomly do something like that," he said. "Don't open your door for anyone you don't know. If you're taking these kinds of medications, it's probably a good idea to keep them secure and don't advertise the fact that you have them."