Homeowner nabs suspects

Aug. 14, 2005

KATE KELLY\Frontiersman reporter

A Wasilla man who came home late Sunday night to find a neighbor and his two friends burglarizing his home on Vaunda Avenue held one of them at gunpoint until police arrived.

Homeowner Robert Locke saw two boys running east from his house at 1401 Vaunda Ave. as he pulled into his driveway at about 10:45 p.m. Aug. 7 and then caught one of them still at the house. Locke held the 15-year-old at gunpoint and it was discovered later that the boy's pockets were full of items he'd taken from Locke's home, including several pieces of jewelry, cash, and partial bottles of pain medications hydrocodone and Percocet prescribed to Locke.

The boy had already dropped a case of beer and some deodorant he'd taken before being nabbed by Locke.

After officers read the boy his Miranda rights, he told them he was working alone and that he had decided to break into the house because he was "having a bad day," Wasilla Officer Joel Smith reported.

The two other people Locke saw fleeing the property were later found at a nearby residence at 751 Lucas Road.

They were identified as Michael W. Goerdt, 18, and a 17-year-old boy referred to as T.W.

After Locke surveyed his home and realized his wife's laptop computer was missing, police searched the area between the two homes and did not find the computer until the owner of the Lucas home was contacted in Fairbanks and gave permission to search.

The computer was found in that home and the man's son and Goerdt were advised of their Miranda right to remain silent.

Although they at first denied any involvement in the burglary, once the computer was found they 'fessed up to Officer Smith.

"T.W. told me it was E.J.'s idea to break into the house. He said E.J. was the only one to enter the residence," Smith wrote in his report. "His recollection of events changed several times while I was speaking with him. He did indicate he was aware the computer was at his house, and that it had been stolen."

Goerdt told Smith he was at T.W.'s house when E.J. came over and indicated he had cased out the residence at 1401 Vaunda.

He also said the two boys went over to Locke's house first and that when he arrived, E.J. handed him the computer and told him to take it back to T.W.'s house on Lucas, which he did.

Goerdt said he then returned to Locke's house and met T.W. outside. Shortly thereafter, the homeowner pulled into the driveway and they both ran back to T.W.'s home.

The value of the items found on E.J. was $500, while the value of the computer was $1,500, the report said.

The two juveniles were transported to Mat-Su Youth Facility and charged with first-degree burglary, a Class B felony, and second-degree theft, a Class C felony.

E.J. was also charged with two counts of fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance.

Goerdt was taken to Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility on charges of first-degree burglary and second-degree theft.

Contact Kate Kelly at 352-2284.