More theft at job sites

WASILLA -- Alaska State Troopers are looking for an individual or individuals believed to be responsible for a string of Valley construction site burglaries during the last couple of months.

Two burglaries were discovered in Wasilla within the space of two hours on Tuesday morning. Troopers responded at about 9 a.m. to a residential construction site in the Meadowbrooks subdivision in Wasilla. The home is being built by Hall Quality Homes through a subcontractor, Eagle Eye Construction of Wasilla.

The owner of the company reported that several construction tools were stolen from the site, including a table saw, a Delta miter saw, an air compressor, several air nail guns and a variety of small hand tools. The losses were estimated at approximately $5,000.

At 11:09 the same morning, troopers responded to a call that a residential construction site located on Creekside Drive in Wasilla had been burglarized. The home was being built by C.A.D. Enterprises of Wasilla, whose owner, Clay Dahl, said Wednesday his company was almost finished with the home when the burglars struck.

Dahl discovered the crime on Monday morning. Since he was at the site on Saturday, he believes the burglary probably occurred on Sunday.

"We were doing trim and getting ready to set cabinets and things like that inside the new house," he said.

Dahl added that this was not the first time he has been the victim of such a crime.

"I was ripped off about six years ago when I was finishing another house, and they came in and did the same thing, taking a bunch of tools."

Dahl said that work on the house was set back three or four days while the builders replaced stolen tools.

Dahl listed losses that included both tools and building materials, estimating his total loss to be more than $10,000. Tools stolen included a DeWalt sliding compound miter saw on a stand, a Makita portable table saw, an airless paint sprayer, a Senco SN 325 framing nailer, a Porter-Cable framing nailer, a Stanley finish crown stapler, a Porter-Cable 18-gauge brad nailer, a David White contractor level, cordless drills, a router and several hand tools.

Sometime during the evening of Dec. 3, a burglar or burglars reportedly used a crowbar to force entry into a home being built on Woodfield Drive in Wasilla, as well. The owner reported the burglary to troopers on Dec. 5, listing approximately $1,500 worth of building tools stolen from the residence.

The burglary of tools has been ongoing, according to police reports. On Nov. 29, troopers received a call at 6:40 a.m. that a home being built on Bald Eagle Drive in Wasilla had been burglarized. Approximately $2,000 in miscellaneous power tools were reportedly taken after the individual or individuals forced entry into the home.

Construction tools, along with three pistols and computer equipment all totaling about $7,000 in losses were also reported stolen on Nov. 11 from Steve Norton Enterprises at Mile 6 Palmer-Wasilla Hwy. In that instance, troopers reported that preliminary analysis of the evidence indicated that the burglary was linked to recent business and auto shop burglaries in the Valley during the last two or three months.

Investigation into the December building site crimes is continuing as troopers try to determine whether they are linked in any way to each other.

Troopers request that anyone with information about these or any other crimes please call the Alaska State Troopers at 745-2131 or the Mat-Su Crime Stoppers at 745-3333. Callers to Crime Stoppers do not need to leave their name and may earn a reward of up to $1,000 if the information leads to arrest and indictment of suspect(s).