First felony

of 2006 on file

Alleged thief earns dubious distinction

January 3, 2006

MARY AMES\Frontiersman reporter

MATSU - The first felony filing of the year has been entered into Palmer Superior Court for a Wasilla man accused of stealing a Caterpillar excavator from a Big Lake man.

John Comoza, 50, was arraigned in Anchorage, where he was arrested, but his court case received a 3PA-06-00001CR case number, which means the third judicial district, Palmer, 2006, and the first criminal case.

Alaska State Trooper Shannon Fore responded to a report from Waymon Price, 45, of Big Lake, that Comoza stole his Cat, according to a Fore.

After investigating, Fore found Comoza did have the Cat, but refused to tell the trooper where it was. So Fore got a search warrant for Comoza's property.

The Cat is still missing, but a white 1999 Dodge quad-cab truck reported stolen Dec. 28 from Harvest Motors was on the property, along with 300 marijuana plants, according to Fore's report.

Comoza was arrested at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, where he was preparing to leave the state on a 1 a.m. flight, according to the report.

According to court records, Comoza was arraigned in Anchorage on five felony charges - two counts of first-degree theft and three counts of fourth-degree MICS, at 1:30 p.m. New Year's Day. According to Fore's report, Comoza's bail was set at $35,000. No records show when Comoza will be brought before a Palmer Superior Court Judge.

Joey Comoza, 28, of Wasilla was also arrested at the airport on $27,000 in warrants from Anchorage, according to Fore's report. Joey Comoza was also booked on a flight out of state. Court records show one Palmer case from 2004 that has been reopened against Joey Comoza, but no filings for 2006. The reopened case includes charges of felony driving under the influence, fourth-degree assault and making a false report.

Even if more charges are lodged against Joey Comoza, there won't be a father-son first and second felony filing of the year.

The second felony in Palmer Superior Court was charged to Michael S. Harmon, 48, who was arraigned at 11 a.m. New Year's Day on a charge of fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance.

In 2004, the number of felony filings in Palmer Superior Court increased by 38 percent over the previous year, according to statistics compiled in the 2004 Alaska Court System Annual Report, the most recent available. Felony filings statewide increased that year by just 10 percent over 2003, the report said.

Palmer has started a pilot project of holding court during the evenings and on weekends because there aren't enough courtrooms to hold hearings and trials during the week, according to the report.

Contact Mary Ames at 352-2284 or mary.ames@frontiersman.com.