Troopers look for pair who robbed full house

WASILLA — Alaska State Troopers say masked men robbed 15 people at gunpoint Friday night.

According to trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen, the robbery was reported at 10:30 p.m. at a commercial garage on Vine Road that was closed at the time.

“Two men dressed in ski masks and hooded sweatshirts came in and ordered everybody face down on the floor at gunpoint and then demanded all of their wallets, valuables, money,” Ipsen said.

Ipsen said the men left in what witnesses described as a dark-colored car.

“We responded, canvassed the area, pulled a couple of people over with cars matching the description,” Ipsen said.

None of the cars contained the robbers.

Ipsen said the garage was almost a home business; it was on the same property as the home in which its owners lived.

KTUU television news reports that the people in the garage were playing poker. Asked if she could confirm what the victims had been doing just prior to the robbery, Ipsen said she could not.

“It’s not something that we’re releasing,” Ipsen said. “It was a place people were gathered there after hours and they got robbed.”

Anyone with information is asked to call troopers at 745-2131 or, to remain anonymous, Mat-Su Crime Stoppers at 745-3333.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.