Cops say man robbed teenage girl who tried to help him

WASILLA — A man robbed a 17-year-old girl at knifepoint after she pulled out her wallet to help him, authorities said.

The girl was pulled over on the side of the road near the intersection of West Crestwood Drive and West Ponderosa Loop about 4 p.m. on Nov. 20 to deal with some car trouble, according to police spokesman Dan Bennett. A man approached her and asked for some money, saying he and his wife were in trouble.

“She pulled out her wallet to help the person out and that is when the man produced a knife and asked for her entire wallet,” Bennett wrote in an email.

The victim described the robber as a tall, thin, white male, about 30 years old, who wore a black winter cap, a black hoodie, and blue jeans. The case is currently under investigation, and officials have developed a few suspects, but haven’t yet charged anyone in connection with the incident, Bennett said. Police also aren’t publicly disclosing the amount of money taken, Bennett said.

According to Wasilla Police Department statistics, the case marks the eighth robbery in 2015. Of those, five have ended with arrests, according to Bennett.

“Because there has been confusion, and just so we are clear, there are thefts, burglaries, shoplifting, and then the more serious crimes of Robbery,” Bennett wrote.

A burglary involves entering private property with the intention of committing a crime, according to Alaska statute. Theft is the taking of property (or use of services without pay), whether it is “lost or mislaid property,” obtained by deception, or received from another person. A burglary thus does not always involve theft. Shoplifting involves the removal of merchandise from a store by concealment. The most serious counts of theft and burglary — classified as property crimes — rise to the level of a class B felony, meaning they carry a potential maximum sentence of 10 years, depending on past offenses. The most serious level of shoplifting rises to the level of a class C felony.

Robbery, however, involves the threat of immediate force against a person to obtain property. First-degree robbery, which involves the use or threat of use of a “dangerous instrument or a defensive weapon” is a class A felony, meaning it carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Robbery is classified as a violent crime.

In general, police offer the following tips to avoid becoming the victim of a violent crime:

• Pay attention to your surroundings when out and about.

• Report unusual or suspicious activity to the police.

• Don’t try to be a hero.

“If you find yourself in a robbery situation, give them (the robber) the property that they ask for without resistance,” Bennet wrote. “Nothing is worth your life, and be a good witness, pay attention to detail, stay calm and safe.”

Anyone with information in the most recent robbery is urged to call Mat-Su Crime Stoppers at 745-3333, or Wasilla police at 352-5401.

Contact reporter Brian O’Connor at 352-2270, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.