PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS: Aug. 24, 2017

High-speed car chase ends with arrest in Talkeetna

A 34-year old Anchorage woman was jailed after leading Alaska State Troopers on a high-speed chase near Talkeetna early Thursday morning.

Troopers report Nora Nance first eluded police in a vehicle then on foot after police observed a reported stolen vehicle in a service station parking lot near Mile 99 of the Parks Highway around 1:15 a.m. After attempting a traffic stop, troopers said the driver headed south on the highway at sustained speeds of more than 100 miles per hour.

Another trooper deployed a tire deflation device at Mile 74 of the Parks Highway in Willow at which time police say the vehicle came to a stop. Police said the driver then took off on foot but after a brief chase in the woods, was apprehended.

Troopers charged Nance with first-degree theft, first-degree failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer and reckless driving. Police said Nance also had two outstanding arrest warrants on the original charges of resisting arrest, making a false report, and failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer. She was remanded to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility and held on $2,850 cash bail.

Cheap paint job leads to arrest of suspected car thief

A cheap paint job and improper use of license plates helped police nab a suspected car thief early Tuesday morning.

According to court affidavits, 23-year-old Alden Alexander Pauline III of Anchorage has a Sept. 1 preliminary hearing in Palmer District Court on first-degree theft and improper use of plates after an equipment violation stop in Palmer by police.

According to police, the vehicle’s rear plate was registered to a blue 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee reported stolen out of Anchorage on Aug. 18. After contacting the driver, later identified as Pauline, further checks revealed the front plate belonged to a different vehicle and the Jeep’s identification number didn’t match the rear plate registration.

According to police, Pauline stated he was heading to Anchorage and that the vehicle belonged to “Felix” but he was unsure of “Felix’s” last name. Further investigation revealed the vehicle’s ignition had been tampered with and the vehicle itself painted black. Police said the black paint was peeling off the driver’s door revealing the original blue paint underneath. Further, reports stated there was broken glass in the driver’s side floorboard and that the driver’s side window and vent were broken out.

Pauline was remanded to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility with bail set at $2,500 cash/corporate.

Motorcycle-vehicle collision injures 18-year-old

An 18-year-old Palmer man was taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries Tuesday after a motorcycle-vehicle accident near Inner Springer Loop and the Glenn Highway in Palmer.

According to Alaska State Troopers (AST) dispatch, Jason Rutherford was attempting to cross Glenn Highway in a perpendicular manner on a small motorbike when he was struck by a vehicle driven by 20-year-old Wyatt Gardipee of Wasilla. Police state Rutherford was thrown from the bike and was not wearing a helmet at the time.

Troopers stated Gardipee and a passenger reported no injuries. Their vehicle sustained damages from the incident. Investigation into the crash is ongoing, police said.

Bear spray used in alleged supermarket holdup

Christopher Hatting, 36, of Anchorage, is scheduled for an Aug. 27 preliminary hearing on theft and assault charges after Wasilla Police allege he stole more than $2,500 in merchandise from Fred Meyer and threatened employees with bear repellent spray.

A court affidavit filed by Wasilla Police Sgt. Bobby Rader said the department was contacted by two loss-prevention employees who told Rader they observed Hatting load a shopping cart with merchandise and leave the store without paying. According to the affidavit, the employees followed and attempted to stop Hatting when they noticed him pulling something out of his pocket and point it toward them.

Police said one employee thought it was possibly a gun and became frightened. Police stated a man matching the employees’ description, later identified as Hatting, was located and detained. The officer said Hatting had a can of bear spray with the safety block removed, inside is hoodie. The safety block was recovered by employees who told Rader they requested assault charges be filed.

Hatting was remanded to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility where bail was set at $3,000.

Observant contractor helps nab suspected paint store thief

An observant area contractor helped police nab a 30-year old Palmer man for second-degree theft.

According to court affidavits, Beau J. Cook was arrested after allegedly trying to pawn items stolen from a local paint store in late March. Police state that on March 24 officers took a complaint of a theft after the fact. Among the approximate $1,600 in merchandise was a paint sprayer and paint which was charged to an account of a Washington state business.

The paint store employees told officers that a male, later identified as Cook, identified himself and charged the items. They told police the man was tall with dark hair and a throat tattoo.

One of the local paint store employees said she had been contacted by a local contractor who informed them a former employee “Beau,” had shown up attempting to sell the items for less than half the actual value. The contractor declined and contacted the paint store, which he was aware sold that brand of sprayer. The contractor told police that “Beau” had a “jigsaw puzzle piece” tattoo on his throat. He also provided a vehicle description and to the best of his recollection, a license plate number.

Later that day while in route to another call, officers saw the a vehicle closely matching both the description and license plate information leaving the parking lot of a local pawn shop. After stopping the vehicle and identifying the driver, police say Cook told them he thought it might have to do with his attempting to sell the sprayer.

According to the affidavit, Cook admitted the sprayer came from the same store reporting the theft and that he had bought it and was trying to sell it because his wife was hospitalized in Anchorage. Police say Cook admitted charging the items to the Washington state firm because they owed him approximately $1,000.

After getting consent from Cook to search his vehicle, police recovered paint and related supplies. According to the affidavit, Cook told officers he pawned some items, including the sprayer, for $250. Cook was already in custody at Mat-Su Pretrial Facility on an unrelated third-degree theft charge, according to CourtView. Following his Wednesday arraignment, bail was set at $1,000 cash/corporate plus a court-appointed third party on this charge.

Woman found in unoccupied home charged with theft

A 31-year old Wasilla woman was charged with second-degree theft after Alaska State Troopers discovered her inside an unoccupied Wasilla home the evening of Aug. 17.

According to a Palmer Court affidavit, Amanda Anderson Brooks was arrested at a Tanana Drive residence after a neighbor heard noises coming from the adjacent, unoccupied house, which he also owned. Troopers state the owner went to investigate, found Brooks inside, and refused to allow her to leave until police arrived.

Police state despite the relatively mild evening, Brooks was wearing a dark hooded jacket and gloves. The affidavit stated a large backpack, belonging to Brooks, was also inside the structure and that Brooks told police she had written a note while waiting for troopers to arrive.

According to the affidavit, Brooks stated she thought she was in another abandoned nearby residence and she had been told it was abandoned. The affidavit said Brooks stated she would leave without taking any items and that she was sorry. Troopers stated a “private property-no trespassing” sign was clearly visible near the front of the structure.

Troopers also state in the affidavit observing multiple items near the door where Brooks was first contacted and that they appeared to be staged to be stolen from the dwelling. Police stated the dwelling was in disrepair and not habitable, however it was filled with personal items.

After arresting Brooks on the charge and prior to transporting her, troopers retrieved the backpack and conducted a cursory search for dangerous items such as firearms and/or explosives. In the pack’s top, troopers said they observed a pair of pliers, small pry bar and flashlight. Checking Brooks’ driver’s license, police state it had multiple indentations in locations consistent with trying to “credit card” into a residence.

According to the affidavit, “credit carding” is a technique where a credit card or ID is inserted in between the door and door jamb in an attempt to defeat a door lock. Troopers stated using this technique the door latch makes an often permanent indentation on the card itself.

Brooks was remanded to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility with bail set at $1,000. She is scheduled for a Sept. 7 preliminary hearing on Palmer District Court.