Prison terms given in alleged burglary attempt

PALMER -- Two men were sentenced to six months in prison Friday for first-degree criminal trespass, although prosecutors said their actions clearly amounted to attempted burglary of a Palmer residence.

Anthony D. Hanson, 22, and Shane A. Martin, 25, were sentenced by Superior Court Judge Eric Smith on the reduced charges. They originally were arrested for first-degree attempted burglary in connection with a Jan. 21 incident.

"This community is fed up with burglaries," assistant district attorney Rachel Gernat said before sentencing. "They are rampant in the Valley."

Police responded to a report of two men trying to break into the residence about 2 a.m. Officers followed footprints in the snow that matched boots worn by Hanson and shoes worn by Martin, according to court documents.

The prints led from the house's driveway to the porch, then from the porch to a ladder leaning against the house directly under an open window, the documents said.

"Snow residue was present on the rungs of the ladder," Alaska State Trooper Dug Cook wrote in a report. "There was also one partial print on the deck of the porch which belonged to the boots worn by Hanson."

The footprints separated and one set went around each side of the house to the back yard, Cook wrote. Then both sets of prints went down an embankment onto a lake behind the house.

Palmer police officer Pete Steen joined Cook and, with an infrared radar device, they followed the tracks 200 yards from the house where they found the men hiding under a dead spruce tree, Cook's report said.

Both men have previous criminal records, and each asked for another chance Friday during the court session.

"I'm still young and I can still be rehabilitated," Hanson said.

"I apologize for coming in here so many times and causing all this mess," Martin said. "My dad always said I had a hard head, but I think I've learned this time."

Smith quietly considered the prior offenses and then said, "The problem for Mr. Martin is the behavior keeps continuing."

Martin replied, "What's jail time going to do for me?"

"I'm not going to argue with you," Smith said, noting Martin had committed two new crimes within four days while on probation for a 1998 crime. "The community rightly expects that we do something."

In addition to six months for criminal trespass, the judge sentenced Martin to an additional six months in prison based on a previous conviction for third-degree theft. Martin still has one year to serve on a second-degree theft conviction, and Smith ruled that the three jail terms be served consecutively rather than concurrently.

Besides meting out six months for criminal trespass, Smith revoked a previous suspended imposition of sentence Hanson received for second-degree theft. He added three years' probation for that felony crime.