Masked men shoot homeowner

August 9, 2006

Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Sunday, three men wearing masks entered a Ponderosa Loop home in Wasilla and shot a man, grazing his head, according to Wasilla police.

&#8220This young man had a gun held to his head,” said Ruthan Josten, an investigator with WPD.

The three men dressed in black demanded drugs, although no one at the house had either prescription or street drugs, Josten said.

Theshot from the .40 caliber handgun grazed the top of the victim's head, traveled through the couch and embedded in the wall. The victim was treated and released at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

The men left the house on foot, with nothing to show for their trouble except the police on their trail.

With the help of Hero, the department's German shepherd, police tracked the men through the woods to a cul-de-sac on Centurian Street. Police believe a car was waiting for the men there.

Anyone with information about the men or the vehicle should call Josten at Mat-Com Dispatch, 352-5401, or call Mat-Su Crime Stoppers at 745-3333.

&#8220We suspect they knew who the victim was,” Josten said. &#8220They could have had bad information and were willing to risk killing someone for it.”