Children robbed of candy at gunpoint

By John R. Moses

Frontiersman

TALKEETNA – Trick-or-treat time turned to real terror for eight costumed children Wednesday when two men jumped from a pick-up truck and demanded their candy at gunpoint.

The weapon was pointed toward at least one of the children, and witnesses reported that at least one shot was fired into the air, Alaska State Troopers report. In addition to the candy, a $500 iPhone was also stolen from one of the children.

Tables were turned when the children took down the truck’s license number and reported the crime, troopers report. The suspect vehicle was found in a restaurant parking lot and blocked in by a truck driven by the father of one of the victims. Troopers arrested two Wasilla men connected with the truck but would not name them as suspects in the robbery.

Aaron Tolen, 24, was arrested after troopers said he gave them a false name. He had an outstanding no-bail felony arrest warrant and faces charges of third-degree theft from another incident, providing false information and hindering an investigation.

Michael Scott Wilson, 24, was arrested for suspicion of hindering an investigation. Wilson was also found to have outstanding no-bail arrest warrants for parole violations stemming from original charges of theft, burglary, false report and unlawful evasion, troopers report.

Both men, identified as being from Wasilla, were taken to the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility.

Arrests cap night of fear

The crime enraged residents of a village that is usually quiet in winter months and where street crime is virtually unheard of, especially against children. Many residents worked together to track down suspects and comfort the victims, who resumed trick-or-treating with adult escorts.

The robbery happened at about sunset on a quiet stretch of Main Street after Talkeetna Elementary School had finished hosting a fall festival. The school was reopened as a “safe zone” for parents and students until 10 p.m.

The boldness of the crime, committed at 5:20 p.m. while hundreds of people were in the immediate area, stunned longtime residents who say the daylight robbery is a bizarre and unexpected intrusion. Businesswoman and longtime resident Suzy Kellard said the event was unprecedented.

“I never even hear about bullies out there, let alone armed robbers,” said Kellard, an area resident since 1959.

She suggested others planning crimes in Talkeetna remember that it is a small town, 14 miles down a spur road with nowhere to hide and a trooper station to pass on the way out of town.

“I don’t think they knew what they were getting into when they came to Talkeetna. You don’t do that [stuff] around here,” said Nancy Trump, who owns the Latitude 62 restaurant and lodge.

The suspects were waiting for food in Trump’s front dining room when a parent of one of the robbery victims alerted her to the truck’s presence in her parking lot. Trump said she saw two rifles behind the seats in the truck. She was dismayed that a gun was later recovered inside her restaurant when troopers apprehended the two men.

Two troopers entered the Latitude 62 at 7:20 p.m., detained and later arrested Tolen and Wilson. Troopers recovered a handgun as well as two rifles from the truck. They are still investigating to determine who was responsible for the armed robbery and have not declared that the two arrested Halloween night are the robbers.

There aren’t many open restaurants in Talkeetna in the off-season. Some of the robbery victims showed up at the Latitude for dinner while the suspects were still inside, and they identified the vehicle as well. The kids were sent back to the school campus safety zone while troopers were called.

Also present at the arrest was the principal of the elementary school where all of the victims are students.

Counselor on campus

On Thursday, Talkeetna Elementary staff was dealing with the aftermath.

“The main message for us is to let the kids know that they’re safe, that this school is safe, and that Talkeetna is a safe place to live,” Talkeetna Elementary School Principal John Brown said. “And, to celebrate the fact that our kids made some good decisions.”

All of the children involved in the hold-up are fifth- and sixth-graders at Talkeetna Elementary. They took a cell phone, walked in a group and were trick-or-treating in the waning daylight. When confronted they stayed calm, took down the license number and dialed for help on the cell phone while going to a local grocery store for adult assistance, Brown said.

Brown said a school psychologist would be on campus Thursday and he had already met with each class and teacher about the events.

After the robbery, across the street from Mahay’s River Boat Service, they ran to nearby Nagley’s store and sought assistance. That began an unofficial effort to notify parents and look for the suspects’ truck.

At first, people in the campus safe zone hoped the robbery was “a stupid Halloween prank,” Brown said.

Then witnesses saw troopers recover a gun.

“That changed everything once the reality hit that it was a live weapon,” Brown said.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact Sgt. Craig Allen with the Alaska Bureau of Investigation in Palmer, or call Crime Stoppers at 745-3333.

Contact John R. Moses at john.moses@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.