Manhunt launched after trooper vehicle stolen

(Updated 10:30 a.m. Thursday)

BIG LAKE -- Alaska State Troopers say two people are being sought after one of them stole a trooper vehicle with the other in the back seat.

The incident caused a massive display of force on the part of troopers, who could be seen patrolling Big Lake with numerous patrol cars and two helicopters Wednesday afternoon.

Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters said in an email Wednesday evening that the initial incident took place at around 2:45 p.m. after troopers arrested a man for an outstanding warrant. While he was detained, his wife stole the trooper's vehicle.

“We had a suspect detained in the back and another suspect was able to enter the vehicle and drive away,” Peters wrote.

On Thursday, Peters said the suspects were identified as Amber Watford, 28, and Joshua Watford, 38, both of Big Lake. She said Joshua Watford was cuffed in the back of the patrol vehicle when a passing motorist stopped to talk to the trooper on an unrelated matter. That's when Mrs. Watford allegedly got into the front seat of the trooper vehicle and drove off.

The trooper vehicle was located on West Fireweed Drive in Big Lake less than an hour later -- but without either of the Watfords. Peters said the Watfords are not believed to have taken any items from the trooper vehicle.

According to the Wasilla Police Department, the police vehicle was at least the second the couple made off with on Wednesday. A WPD dispatch released on Thursday said a 1991 Chevy truck was reported stolen from the Holiday gas station on North Boundary Street in Wasilla at around 1 p.m. The truck was recovered in Big Lake later in the day, and the Watfords are the prime suspects in the theft.

At Floaters Bar in Big Lake Wednesday evening, patrons traded speculation about the alleged crime while sipping cocktails. Various social media posts had already identified the suspects, and many people in the bar were aware of the suspects’ description. However, troopers did not publicly identify the couple until Thursday morning.

Word of mouth travels faster than through official information in the small town north of Wasilla said bar patron Terri Mihelich, who said she specifically went to Floaters after getting off work in order to find out what was going on.

“When you see more than one cop car here you know something’s going on,” she said.

Mihelich the bar is a great place to get the scoop on local gossip like Wednesday’s search, which was the talk of the town as people wondered aloud what was happening as the helicopters circled overhead.

“This has always been the place to go to find out,” she said.

She speculated that people in the Big Lake area would be keeping a close watch on their neighborhoods until the suspects are found.

“This is a community where everybody takes care of each other,” she said at around 6:30 p.m.

By 7 p.m. Wednesday the helicopters had left and the cop cars had disappeared from the immediate area. However, authorities were still looking for the couple as of Thursday morning and asking anyone with information about the wanted Watfords to call 352-5401.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.