Burglars strike again

PALMER-- Alaska State Troopers responded Saturday morning to a report of the third auto shop burglary in less than a week, and on Monday morning to a report of a similar burglary at a Palmer aviation business. In each case, victims report that burglars took tools as well as vehicles, with losses into the tens of thousands of dollars.

Troopers responded to a call from Stage III Automotive at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday. Stage III manager Frank Buzby said on Monday that a burglar or burglars used bolt cutters to break open the locked gate to Stage III's yard located at mile 3.5 of the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. Once inside the yard, he said, the suspects broke out windows from a 1994 Chevrolet pickup truck parked in the yard, a personal vehicle belonging to an employee. Although they were not able to unlock the Chevy's steering column in order to move it, they reportedly did approximately $1,600 in damage to the truck.

According to Buzby, the burglars stole two trucks, as well as a long list of automotive tools estimated at around $15,000 in value. Also stolen was a Genesis hand-held automotive diagnostic device and its peripherals, estimated by Buzby at $11,000, and a black tool push cart.

One of the trucks stolen in the burglary, a 1987 Dodge pickup, was recovered later in the day, but Buzby said that the burglars had apparently used the second stolen truck, a white 1998 Dodge XLT Mark III limited edition pickup, to carry away the tools. Trooper Mike Burkmire said as of Monday afternoon the 1998 Dodge truck, license DNJ684, had not been located.

"We've been here for four years," Buzby said. "We've been vandalized on the outside [of the building] before, but this is the first time we have ever been burglarized."

According to Burkmire, there is reason to believe that this burglary was related to the burglaries reported on Oct. 29 of two Wasilla businesses, Pro Auto Service and Custom Truck.

On Monday morning at about 8:45, troopers received a call that AeroWolf Hangar on Beechcraft Avenue in Palmer had been burglarized.

According to Trooper Derek DeGraaf, burglars forced entry into the hangar and then broke open one large rolling toolbox, removing a variety of mechanics' tools but leaving the plastic cases that had contained the tool sets. DeGraaf said the burglar or burglars had attempted and failed to open a second large toolbox.

In addition, he said the suspects had partially opened the hangar door in order to be able to drive out a Honda Foreman four-wheeler, tan in color, which is still missing.

DeGraaf said that a more complete inventory of missing items from AeroWolf along with an estimated value is being compiled. He said there is reason to suspect the AeroWolf burglary is related to the previous burglaries of auto shops.

Items still missing from those earlier burglaries include the following brand-new PowR-Quip equipment: a 3.8 kilowatt generator valued at $1,450; a semi-trash water pump valued at $929; and an air compressor valued at $1,400. Twelve to 15 hand-held electronic automotive diagnostic devices, said to be valued at approximately $5,000 apiece, and a large, red Mac toolbox of automotive tools were also stolen. Still missing is a red 1994 Chevrolet pickup with a snowplow on the front and no tailgate.

Troopers are asking that anyone with information about these burglaries or the missing items call the Palmer troopers at 745-2131, or Mat-Su Crime Stoppers at 745-3333.