Wasilla man faces charges of stalking

A 19-year-old Wasilla man was indicted on Sept. 18 for first-degree stalking and for violating the conditions of his release from a felony. The indictment charges that on Feb. 24, 2002, Andrew L. Coffman knowingly engaged in a course of conduct that recklessly placed another in fear of death or physical injury.

Coffman was on release awaiting trial for the alleged shooting of an elderly woman in January of this year. He was charged with first-degree attempted murder and three other counts in connection with the shooting.

Coffman is alleged to have shot Mary Rogers, 75, in the jaw on Jan. 25, 2002. The shooting occurred after Rogers sent her grandson, Joseph Woods, 23, to check on a person she found crouching outside her Knik-Goose Bay Road home.

According to Wasilla Police Department reports, Woods ran back into the house, allegedly pursued by Coffman. Rogers told police she pointed her revolver at Coffman, who she said also had a gun pointed at her. Rogers said that she told Coffman to leave or she would shoot. A single shot, allegedly from Coffman's small caliber revolver, shattered Rogers' jaw.

Following the incident, Coffman reportedly told police that he came to Rogers' home to talk with Rogers' granddaughter, Elizabeth Ingram, 24, "about their relationship."

Coffman was taken into custody, and pled not guilty at his arraignment on Feb. 4. He was released on bail on Feb. 15. Coffman was ordered by the court not to contact members of Rogers' family, but on Feb. 25, Wasilla police received a report that Coffman had violated conditions of bail by contacting Ingram while she was at work at Carrs in Wasilla.

Coffman then fled Wasilla. He was apprehended on Feb. 26 and arrested without incident by Alaska State Troopers at the border between Port Alcan and Beaver Creek in the Yukon Territory.

Coffman remains in custody, with bail set at $250,000, concurrent with the previous indictment for attempted murder. A pre-trial conference for the stalking charge and violation of conditions for release is set for Oct. 25. Trial for the attempted murder and related charges is scheduled for Oct. 28.