Two face burglary charges after October investigation

HOUSTON — Two men stole car tires, copper wire, and batteries from Valley locations, until Alaska State Troopers arrested them according to court documents.

Randy Keel Jr., 36, of Houston, and Jonathan Pinckley, 28, of Big Lake together face four counts of first-degree burglary, one count of attempted first-degree burglary, one count of second-degree theft, two counts of second-degree burglary and one count of third-degree criminal mischief, according to a superior court indictment filed on Halloween. Pinckley also faces a separate charge of first-degree burglary, according to the indictment.

Troopers began investigating Pinckley after a reported burglary along Lakeview Loop in Big Lake on Oct. 3, according to a sworn affidavit written by Trooper Andrew Ballesteros. Four sets of winter tires were taken sometime between Sept. 12 and Oct. 3, according to the affidavit.

Witnesses identified a blue 1992 Oldsmobile in the driveway of the house by license plate number, and troopers tracked the car to a known associate of Pinckley, who had been arrested while driving the car in September. Witnesses later identified Pinckley in a photo lineup, according to the affidavit.

Troopers began surveillance of Pinckley Oct. 14, according to the affidavit. The affidavit doesn’t identify the specific method used to watch him, but a description of the car’s activities is consistent with GPS monitoring used in other cases.

A Houston residence where Pinckley observed stopping for about a minute Oct. 16 later reported as missing two 50-foot welding leads valued at $800, according to the affidavit. Troopers checked with a business they visited the same day, where an employee told them the pair had sold scrap welding leads and an extension cord.

The surveillance culminated with a series of alleged burglaries Oct. 17, when Pinckley’s car stopped at a shop in Big Lake, where Pinckley and Keel admitted to having stolen batteries, according to the affidavit.

The Oldsmobile then returned to theBig Lake property where the original theft had been reported, according to the affidavit, as well as a residence along Big Lake Road, where an extension cord, copper wire, and batteries worth an estimated $700 were stolen, according to the affidavit. Troopers spotted and photographed a crowbar, battery, and wire in the Oldsmobile at a traffic stop about 12:30 p.m. that day, the affidavit reads in part.

Later that day, Pinckley and Keel admitted to taking batteries from the Wasilla Sears store, and then selling the collected merchandise to a Wasilla scrap business later that day, according to the affidavit.

Troopers arrested them soon after, court documents show. Both Keel and Pinckley had previous convictions, and were transported to Goose Creek Correctional Center, where they remained Thursday afternoon. Pinckley received a $10,000 cash or corporate bond with a court-appointed third-party custody requirement. Keel received a $20,000 bond with court-appointed custody requirement.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oTconnor@frontiersman.com.