Breaking Williwaw’s Bad

WASILLA — The Williwaw neighborhood off Bogard Road is infamous for being one of the most desolate and dangerous spots in the Mat-Su Valley. The overflow of squatters, addicts, and menacing characters has prompted residents into action, spurring a growing movement to clean up the neighborhood and finally make it feel safe.

“People are scared for their lives,” said Williwaw resident Michael Fernandez.

Fernandez spearheaded this movement about two weeks ago after finally having had enough, he said. He’s lived in Williwaw for 12 years and he’s watched a “60-year problem” turn from bad to worse, calling the area a “post-apocalyptic, Mad Max world.”

“It’s anarchy out here,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez started to brainstorm how to solve this problem and he found a common thread — the “trashy, junky” lots that were violating the Borough codes. That was his way of starting the conversation and trying to get something done. This way, he figured the Borough could enforce its codes and have squatters vacate and get help cleaning up the neighborhood. He started calling assembly members on a daily basis.

“If I have to look at this trash every day, I’m going to call every day. Their job is to enforce codes and they’re not doing their jobs,” Fernandez said.

He didn’t get anywhere with the junk and trash codes. He kept calling and Alex Strawn, Development Services Manager for the Borough got back to him and suggested he come to an assembly meeting. He did just that. He introduced the problem and asked to have someone walk around the area to see what they were up against.

District 4 assembly member Ted Leonard walked the Williwaw round with Fernandez and his neighbor, Matt Morris. Morris came with Fernandez and about 30 other Williwaw residents to the March 20 assembly meeting and was one of five speakers at the podium.

“Junk and trash, that’s part of the problem; it’s not the complete problem,” Morris told the assembly. “The real elephant in the room is the purveyance of drugs and essentially the criminal element that it brings to our community.”

Another Williwaw resident, Miranda Ervin, spoke after Morris. She said that she didn’t feel safe in her own home.

“As of 2018, we have been robbed four times by people sitting around in Williwaw waiting for the right time to walk through the woods and steal. They bring bolt cutters, break into enclosed trailers, rip light bars off of vehicles…” Ervin said to the assembly.

Like those who spoke before her, Ervin said that her neighborhood was overflowing with shadowy figures leaving trash and human waste in their wake.

“Multiple times we have come across where they have defecated, left old wrappers bags of trash, and left stolen merchandise in our woods to pick up – not to mention the abundance of needles they have left behind,” Ervin said.

As Fernandez and Morris walked around the neighborhood, they pointed out the most problematic areas. They pointed out several lots that had mounds of trash, junked cars, and so on. Fernandez and Morris noted how cars, people and even ATV’s would go back and forth between these houses. They’ve speculated that these people are moving drugs, cash and related materials. Many of these Williwaw squatters can be seen panhandling at nearby stores like Fred Meyer, according to Fernandez. He spotted several known addicts making their rounds.

“He’s the one you’ll see by Panda Express usually — panhandling,” Fernandez said of one he calls ‘Daddy Brawford.’

This man, his wife and son are all squatting in a trailer around the corner, near Fernandez’s home. Fernandez said that this is after they’ve already called the road service hotline to have the camper they were previously squatting in towed away after sitting in the street’s right of way for 10 weeks.

“They ended up going around the corner, squatting in some else’s abandoned trailer — which is under contract right now to be sold,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez said that if you look at the family’s Facebook pages on a chronological timeline, you can see the family “just deteriorating.”

“They get their money, they come back here. They buy their drugs, they’re up all night, and they’re back at it tomorrow,” Fernandez said.

Known drug dealers are cooking meth right across the street. One neighbor in particular was arrested with meth on his possession, enough to qualify for intent to sell, according to Fernandez. Residents are afraid to report criminals or even press charges when they are attacked in their own homes, according to Morris. In one incident, Morris’ neighbor heard a “suspicious noise” outside. He went to see what it was.

“As soon as he opened the door, somebody smashed him in the head,” Morris said.

The assailant was taken into custody but when the victim did not press charges. Morris said that these types of incidents happen on a regular basis.

The Williwaw subdivision has over 380 homes and falls outside the jurisdiction of the City of Wasilla, leaving it up to the Alaska State Troopers (AST) to handle. During the March 20 assembly meeting, Borough Mayor Vern Halter suggested that Fernandez ask Wasilla Mayor, Bert Cottle to annex Williwaw into the city in hopes to utilize their police force.

“He [Cottle] didn’t want to do anything then, why now?” Fernandez said.

From petty thefts to bold break-ins, the residents feel outmatched and on their own with this ongoing dilemma. Many of them felt like the whole Valley just lumped them together as a lost cause and to avoid the area all costs.

Fernandez said that he understands why a trooper would be hesitant to walk into a rusty, cluttered enclosure to go after criminals, saying that someone could pop out of anywhere to strike.

‘A lot of them have families that they want to go home to, I get that but if they won’t do it, then get someone who will,” Fernandez said.

The whole state is understaffed with AST and the Borough is no exception. Borough Mayor Vern Halter appeared to be moved by the emotional testimonies on the March 20 assembly meeting, especially the latter-end with young girls saying they were scared of being kidnapped. Halter recently wrote a letter to Governor Bill Walker, asking to help Williwaw by bringing in more Alaska State Troopers, saying that “Criminals seem to be running the area…”

“The decent citizens of the neighborhood are rightfully scared and are asking for police help to curb the crime and stop the lawlessness in their area,” Halter stated in the letter.

Hatler stated in the letter that when Leonard walked through Williwaw, he was “stunned to witness what appeared to be criminal activity boldly happening 15 feet away from him.”

The Borough used to have 50 Troopers when it had a population of 74,000 in 2005; currently there are only 34 Troopers patrolling an growing population of 104,000. Halter requested “at least 15 Troopers” be added to the Borough, hoping to see 10 additional Troopers “each of the next two years.”

“After a three-year period, the Mat-Su Borough would be up to 65 Troopers. This is short of what it should but it will reverse the trend of failure to provide State resources to ensure public safety,” Halter concluded in the letter.

Fernandez said that Williwaw’s woes are now in the public record, so hopefully something happens.

“It’s a Valley-wide problem, we are just trying to take care of part of the problem,” Morris said.

This part one of a four part series as the Frontiersman covers the community of Williwaw. More stories to come in later editions. Contact reporter, Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com