Update: Anchorage police say Trevvor Trobough, 20, and Tye Manning, 21, were taken into custody overnight.

ANCHORAGE – Police say two men have been arrested for the September assault of 18-year-old James Clinton.

Clinton was found badly beaten in an abandoned house in Downtown Anchorage September 16. Officers found the unconscious teen after an anonymous tip-off note was slipped under the door of the University of Alaska Anchorage Police Department. Clinton remained unconscious and hospitalized for more than a month.

Monday afternoon, the Anchorage Police Department announced four men face first and second-degree assault charges for the attack.

Iosia Fiso, 19, and Michael Liufau, 22, are in custody, with Liufau also facing a count of coercion. Police say they’re still looking for 20-year-old Trevvor Trobough and 21-year-old Tye Manning. Trobough is described as approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and 160 pounds with light brown hair and blue eyes; Manning is approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Police ask anyone with information as to Manning or Trobough’s whereabouts to call APD at 786-8900.

Courtesy: APD

Courtesy: APD

Courtesy: APD

Courtesy: APD

ANCHORAGE – Anchorage police arrested 44-year-old Kevin Dale Callander on a “no bail” plus court-approved third party arrest warrant Wednesday, authorities said.

The warrant consisted of five counts of distribution of child pornography, one second-degree count of sexual abuse of a minor, two counts of unlawful exploitation of a minor, two counts of indecent viewing or photography and three counts of possession of child pornography, according to a police release.

The investigation started this fall after an undercover detective and the Alaska Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received “illicit images depicting the sexual exploitation of children from Callander,” the release said.

On Oct. 29, the ICAC task force, including APD detectives, Alaska State Troopers and special agents from the United States Postal Service, searched Callander’s residence on Windsor Place in Anchorage. Computers and digital media were taken and examined by the APD Cyber Crimes Lab, which revealed videos depicting sexual exploitation of children as young as 3 or 4.

Police identified and contacted several children in the videos, but they suspect there may be more victims in Anchorage and Florida. The investigation is ongoing, and police are asking anyone with information to call 786-8500.

Editor’s Note: Based on information from APD, this article originally stated that Callander was 46 years old.

ANCHORAGE – The family of a man killed by an Anchorage police officer last summer has filed a complaint and demand for jury trial against the Anchorage Police Department and the Municipality of Anchorage.

On June 9, 2012, Tasi was “shot, seized, wounded and killed” outside his Mountain View apartment by the defendant, Officer Boaz Gionson. The complaint claims Tasi died “as a result of being unconstitutionally shot and seized, and shot repeatedly intentionally and unnecessarily, recklessly, willfully and negligently …”

Gionson arrived at Tasi’s apartment in response to a disturbance call. In police surveillance video, Tasi can be seen waving a broken broom handle at Gionson. Tasi was shot while wielding the stick, and medical reports showed he was intoxicated at the time.

Gionson was later cleared of criminal wrongdoing and Tasi was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The family members who are plaintiffs include Tasi’s wife, Jean Taualo-Tasi, and Tasi’s children. In addition to Gionson, APD and the municipality, other defendants include Officer Joshua Vance and Officer James Williams.

The complaint was submitted Nov. 19.

ANCHORAGE – Police say 44-year-old Kevin Callander used an iPhone to film himself sexually abusing two young girls he knew, all while collecting dozens of similar videos from the internet.

Callander was arrested Wednesday and faces 13 charges related to possessing, distributing, and producing child pornography. He remains in police custody without bail.

His arrest is the result of an investigation that reaches back to August, when police allege Callander sent an illicit image of child exploitation to an undercover detective with the Anchorage Police Department’s Cyber Crimes Unit.

In October, police executed a search warrant at Callander’s home, where court records show he lived with his wife and raised five children. Police found two computers, one essentially clean; the other, filled with 1,300 videos. So far, police have identified 55 videos of child pornography.

Police said Thursday that some of the videos were homemade, shot on iPhones and other home cameras, and that Callander himself can be seen or heard in many of them.

“Most media that we’re seeing in this particular case are actual videos … that appear to be made by Mr. Callander,” said Lieutenant Nancy Reeder with the Alaska Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

She said that means Callander abused local victims over a span of years, even generations.

“I do suspect he has victims who are now adults, that he victimized when they were younger,” Reeder said. “We believe he’s been at this for decades, and some of those victims may never talk to us. They may never come forward.”

Police wouldn’t say how Callander contacted his victims. If he has other victims, Reeder said, they probably aren’t strangers.

“I think it’s probably safe to say that parents who don’t know the Callander’s personally …  it’s safe to say that those parents are OK.”

Police said Callander is originally from Florida, and they are looking into his past there, but he’s lived in Alaska for the past 20 years. He was in the Army, but police said it’s not what brought him to Alaska. Court records show at least one explicit video among those made by Callander may have taken place in New Hampshire.

Investigators released four photos of Callander, ranging from clean-shaven to bearded. “It was important for us to put that out there, in case someone who saw him with a beard, who may not have seen him clean shaven,” Reeder said. “We want that information out there.”

Reeder said she did not think Callander used the beard to change or hide his identity.

Investigators said that, as of this week, they are only halfway through the computers seized at Callander’s home.

“Sometimes, we go into these scenes and they’re horrific, what humanity will do to somebody else,” said cyber crimes detective Joe Torres.

Police said they expect to find more videos — and more Alaska victims — before the case is closed.

ANCHORAGE – Alaska State Troopers said a collision on Big Lake Road killed Caleb J. Younger, 25, just before midnight Saturday.

According to trooper dispatch, 23-year-old Anchorage resident Sierra Mahnke was driving a 1993 Taurus sedan south along the road around 10:30 p.m. when she struck Younger, who was driving an ATV in the same direction. While Mahnke was uninjured, Younger died at the scene from injuries sustained in the collision. Troopers said he was not wearing a helmet.

The collision remains under investigation.

Update: Jennifer Castro, a spokeswoman for the Anchorage Police Department, identified 21-year-old Rodney Stevens as the man arrested for the Tuesday morning assault of a Bartlett High School student. Stevens faces one charge of second-degree assault.

ANCHORAGE – A man was arrested Tuesday morning after allegedly assaulting a female student on her way to school, Anchorage police said.

According to a statement released by the Anchorage Police Department, the Bartlett High School student was walking to school when she noticed a Native male walking behind her. Once she was on school property, she stopped to see if he would pass: Instead, the male suspect shook her hand, introduced himself and claimed he was also a student at the school.

He then began beating her.

The female victim told officers the man struck her in the face and wrapped his arms around her neck. He left the scene following the attack, but a school resource officer was able to locate him shortly thereafter, walking nearby with blood on his hands.

Police said the man was taken into custody for questioning. Investigators don’t believe he knew the victim, who was taken to a local hospital to be treated for her injuries.

ANCHORAGE – Police arrested 21-year-old Rodney Stevens for assaulting a female student on her way to school Tuesday morning.

Lt. Anthony Henry, the commander of school-based officers known as Student Resource Officers (SRO), said the student was on her way to Bartlett High around 8:30 a.m. when she noticed a Native man walking behind her. The student was on school property — walking near “the pit,” an electrical junction box surrounded by a wooded drive meant for utility vehicles — when the man approached her.

Police said the man, later identified as Stevens, introduced himself to the teen and told her he was also a student. Then, police said, he attacked her, striking her face and wrapping his arms around her neck, drawing a “significant amount” of blood.

Police said Stevens fled the scene as the girl continued on to school. Once inside, SRO Cindy Tanaka noticed her distress and reached out to help. As Tanaka attended to the teen and noticed police dispatch, another officer, SRO Kristi Mercer, took down a description from the girl and tracked Stevens down just blocks away, where he was walking with bloodied hands along Boundary Avenue and Muldoon Road.

The student was hospitalized for minor injuries and released this afternoon.

Police confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Stevens was in custody and speaking to investigators, who said Stevens did not appear to be under the influence of any substance.

Police said Stevens and his victim “were strangers” and, despite conversations with detectives, Stevens had not offered police a motive. He remains behind bars at the Anchorage Jail, pending $5,000 bail, and faces a single charge of assault.

Tuesday outside Bartlett, Lt. Henry urged students who walk to school to travel safely, and in groups.

“It’s always safe to walk in a group, so you’re not alone,” he said to reporters assembled outside Bartlett. “Safety in numbers is always something that is beneficial, particularly when you have an attack like this.”

Police stressed that the teen’s awareness of the suspect allowed for a good description, which made for a quick apprehension; they also emphasized the need for people to have situational awareness of their surroundings.

ANCHORAGE – Anchorage police are trying to figure out if a recent rash of robberies and brutal assaults could be related.

The first attack happened in September to a 76-year-old man who was blowing the leaves from the front yard of his Jewel Lake home. Three young men approached him claiming they were fundraising for West High School. That’s all he remembers. He woke up in a pool of blood and his wallet was gone.

The next attack was eerily similar. It happened in a neighborhood not far from the Jewel Lake Fire Station: In that case, a 65-year-old man had just returned to his garage after getting the mail when he was confronted by two young men who claimed to be Mormons. They asked him about Jesus, then beat him up and stole his wallet.

Police say both men were so badly injured they were hospitalized for several days.

“These are not just robberies,” said Sgt. Mike Couturier, head of the Anchorage Police Department’s Robbery and Assault Unit. “These are robberies with vicious assaults attached to them, even beyond what might be necessary to carry out the crime.”

Another robbery last week left a cab driver hospitalized. Three men in their 20s asked to go to the Arctic Tern Inn, but made the driver stop in a nearby alley instead. The men pulled the driver from the cab and kicked him in the head until he lost consciousness.

Police aren’t sure any of the cases are linked but they are looking into the possibility.

They say they hope to make some arrests in the near future.

ANCHORAGE - Police said it’s too soon to tell if an Anchorage minister arrested on charges of child pornography had any local victims, but said there are some things every parent can do to help keep their children safe.

Parents who notice changes in their child’s behavior should watch them closely, because there could be signs of abuse or something else alarming. Monitoring their computer behavior is another option for parents who are concerned.

Listening to children and believing what they say is also important, according to educator Julie Dale, who works for Standing Together Against Rape (STAR). Recently she met with children at Mountain View Elementary to talk about why it’s important to keep body parts private and who to talk with if something goes wrong.

“Knowing who those trusted adults are and where to find them is important,” Dale said. “’It’s OK to tell’ is also an important message for kids, and letting them know that these trusted adults are all around them in our community.”

Educators at STAR are available to talk with parents or children about what can be a difficult topic. The Anchorage Police Department also provides presentations on Internet safety for parents that are available to the public as well.

ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage Police Department study reveals a recent rise in shoplifting and thefts from vehicles, and police warn shoppers to be especially alert during the holiday season.

The study, conducted by APD crime analysts, found a 25 percent increase in shoplifts between 2012 and 2013 and a 40 percent increase in thefts from vehicles during the same time period. With the holiday shopping season set to kick into high gear Friday, APD released a list of recomendations for Alaskan shoppers Wednesday.

Among the tips: stay alert, carry purses and bags close to your body, park in well-lit areas and avoid carrying large amounts of cash or storing holiday purchases in your vehicle.

ANCHORAGE – A 24-year-old Fairbanks woman was arrested Wednesday following the death of her infant son, Alaska State Troopers said.

According to trooper dispatch, Amber Lynn Swanson brought the body of her 18-month-old son to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital late Sunday evening. She claimed she fell asleep Nov. 29 and awoke to find the passenger side window of her vehicle rolled down and her son outside. She said he died the next day.

But troopers said evidence showed the child, Julian Swanson-Byrd, was killed by blunt force trauma. He had been dead for some time when Swanson delivered his body to the hospital, troopers said.

Swanson was charged with first-degree murder for the boy’s death.

NEW YORK- Nearly 2 million user names and passwords for Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, Google, and other popular sites have been compromised and circulated online, Internet security researchers report.

The security firm Trustwave SpiderLabs first discovered the breach and posted its findings online.

The hackers’ massive database included stolen information from some 320,000 email accounts, 318,000 Facebook accounts, and 21,000 Twitter users, Trustwave said. Many Russian-language social networking sites were also targeted.

Most of the accounts do not appear to belong to users in the United States. CNET notes that fewer than 2,000 of the stolen login credentials affect U.S. users.

The Netherlands seemed to be targeted the most, accounting for 97 percent of the stolen passwords, followed by Thailand, Germany, Singapore, and Indonesia.

Trustwave researchers combed through the stolen passwords and made another disturbing discovery: Thousands of people used the same weak and easily crackable passwords. The company says more than 15,000 of the affected users had set “123456″as their password, and about 2,000 each just used the word “password” or “admin.”

In Trustwave’s analysis, only 5 percent of the stolen passwords were considered excellent and 17 percent were good. The rest were moderate or worse.

Internet security experts say many breaches occur because passwords are too easy to guess, although that may not have been a factor in this case. They offer a number of tips to help keep your personal data safe from hackers:

-Make them long. The minimum should be eight characters, but even longer is better.

- Use combinations of letters and numbers, upper and lower case and symbols such as the exclamation mark. Try to vary it as much as you can. “My!PaSsWoRd-32″ is far better than “mypassword32.”

- Avoid words that are in dictionaries, as there are programs that can crack passwords by going through databases of known words. These programs know about such tricks as adding numbers and symbols, so you’ll want to make sure the words you use aren’t in the databases. One trick is to think of a sentence and use just the first letter of each word — as in “tqbfjotld” for “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”

-Avoid easy-to-guess words, even if they aren’t in the dictionary. Avoid your name, company name or hometown, for instance. Avoid pets and relatives’ names, too. Likewise, avoid things that can be looked up, such as your birthday or ZIP code.

-Many sites let you reset your password by answering a security question, but these answers — such as your pet or mother’s maiden name — are possible to look up. So try to make these answers complex just like passwords, by adding numbers and special characters and making up responses.

When a malicious hacker gets a password to one account, it’s often a stepping stone to a more serious breach, especially because many people use the same passwords on multiple accounts. So if someone breaks into your Facebook account, that person might try the same password on your banking or Amazon account. Suddenly, it’s not just about fake messages being posted to your social media accounts. It’s about your hard-earned money.

It’s particularly bad if the compromised password is for an email account. That’s because when you click on a link on a site saying you’ve forgotten your password, the service will typically send a reset message by email. People who are able to break into your email account, therefore, can use it to create their own passwords for all sorts of accounts. You’ll be locked out as they shop and spend, courtesy of you.

If the compromised password is one you use for work, someone can use it to break in to your employer’s network, where there are files with trade secrets or customers’ credit card numbers.

Many services offer a second level of authentication when you’re accessing them from a computer or device for the first time. These services will send you a text message to a phone number on file, for instance. The text message contains a code that you need in addition to your password. The idea is that a hacker may have your password, but won’t have ready access to your phone.

Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter are among the services offering this dual authentication. It’s typically an option, something you have to turn on. Do that. It may be a pain, but it will save you grief later. In most cases, you won’t be asked for this second code when you return to a computer you’ve used before, but be sure to decline that option if you’re in a public place such as a library or Internet cafe.

Don’t get complacent — change your passwords regularly. It’s possible your account information is already circulating. If you have a regular schedule for changing passwords for major accounts, you reduce the amount of time that someone can do harm with that information.

You’ll need to decide what counts as a major account. Banking and shopping sites are obvious, as are email and social-networking services. It probably doesn’t matter much if someone breaks into the account you use to read newspaper articles (unless it’s a subscription).

And strong passwords alone won’t completely keep you safe. Make sure your computer is running the latest software, as older versions can have flaws that hackers have been known to exploit. Be careful when clicking on email attachments, as they may contain malicious software for stealing passwords. Use firewalls and other security programs, many of which are available for free.

ANCHORAGE – Four men arrested for armed robbery over the weekend may also be responsible for other violent crimes, Anchorage police said.

Miracle Tulimaselii, 23; Tusa Tanuvasa, 18; Siaosi Sila, 20 and 22-year-old Lonnie Reed face charges in connection with a pair of robberies during the early morning hours of Nov. 30. Police said the first crime happened just after 1 a.m. at the Hampton Inn on Credit Union Drive, when three of the men entered the lobby armed with a shotgun and two handguns.

After taking money from the front counter and escaping in a sedan driven by the fourth man, the group drove across town to a Jewel Lake Chevron station.

There, police said they forced the employee to the floor. Tulimaselii allegedly fired multiple shotgun rounds at the gas station’s ATM, but was unsuccessful in breaking it open.

Law enforcement officers caught up with the men around 2:30 Saturday morning while investigating a third incident at a Midtown Motel 6. They were subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree robbery each.

Editor’s note: This story was originally broadcast Dec. 4. It’s the second installment of a three-part series.

ANCHORAGE - Police have a new tool to fight drunk driving in Anchorage. KTVA 11 got a dramatic look at what’s being done.

Anchorage had been free of DUI fatalities for 14 months. But after five suspected drunk driving deaths over the summer, police decided they had to take quick action. The Anchorage Police Department worked to set up a citizens’ DUI task force, which was on the street less than a week after the deaths of two 15-year-old girls. On Aug. 9, a suspected drunk driver hit and killed Brooke McPheters and Jordyn Durr while they walked home from shopping.

“All of them were tragic,” said Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew. “But number three and four, the two girls that were just walking down the sidewalk in broad daylight, that rattled everybody here.”

KTVA 11 rode along for several hours overnight with task force members in September. Citizen volunteers use their own cars and volunteer their time to catch drunk drivers. They must go through a 13-week training course, but have no authority on the street. They ride in pairs, and when they see erratic driving the passenger jots down the plate number and calls 911.

The hope is that a police officer will show up to witness a possibly intoxicated driver and arrest them.

“They see us, but they don’t know it’s us,” said task force member Nick Hornshuh.

During a September patrol, a KTVA crew saw drivers weaving all over the road, making three lane turns and one passenger hanging his head out a window, looking like he was going to vomit.

ANCHORAGE – All Debbie Hurd has left of her son, Matt Scott, are pictures and his ashes. Scott died in 2012 after overdosing on the drug “Molly” given to him by Robin Gattis.

“I know he was reckless, I admitted that,” Hurd said. “But his legacy shouldn’t be as a drug addict. He was exposed to the drug and he liked the way it made him feel.”

A judge sentenced Gattis to 16 years in prison Thursday afternoon on drug conspiracy charges. Alaska is now the first state to federally prosecute someone for distributing a fatal dose of “Molly.”

Court documents show Gattis had been dealing large quantities of Methylone, the party drug known as “Molly.”

Scott had been at a party and his knees started to turn blue after he took multiple hits of the drug. Gattis texted a friend that it was “a sign of a mild overdose.”

He left Scott alone to sleep. When Gattis checked on him the next day, Scott was dead.

“When you knew he was overdosing and you were texting people and didn’t do anything. You could have given him a chance,” Hurd said. “Even with his phone, called 911. If you were afraid of getting caught, call with his phone then leave and give him a chance. That’s what I can’t wrap myself around. You were so afraid of getting caught you just let him die.”

What Gattis did after Scott’s death shows he had no remorse, according to the prosecution.

“Hoping I don’t catch a murder charge if I’m implicated since I was there,” he said in a Facebook message to a friend.

“My best friend took the M1 and died,” he said in an email to his drug dealer in China. “I think I’m going to throw away the rest and I don’t think I’ll be ordering from you again, thank you for your service though and if there’s any way I can get my money refunded it would help a lot.”

A month later he asked his dealer for another supply.

State Rep. Lynn Gattis, Robin’s mother, admitted her son made mistakes, but told the courtroom:

“We have a bigger problem,” she said. “We as mothers can do a lot more. Everyone’s son is important and useful. Robin has something to offer.”

Robin Gattis spoke in court telling the judge he was terrified of spending 20 years in jail.

“I hope for myself, my family and my future I’m not stuck in jail forever,” he said.

“I’m so sorry for all the pain this has caused you,” he told Scott’s parents. ” I wish there was something I could do or say to bring Matt back.”

Editor’s note: This story, originally aired Dec. 5, is the final installment of a three-part series examining the impacts of drunk driving and the work being done to stop it.

ANCHORAGE – A citizens’ DUI task force has made a lot of progress in Anchorage.

The group, made up of residents who volunteer their own time and use their own cars, was set up right after two 15-year-old girls were killed by a suspected drunk driver in August. Over the span of a few months, five people were killed in suspected drunk driving crashes in Anchorage.

KTVA 11 rode along with task force members to see how the program works. While riding in September, task force member Nick Hornshuh and his partner spotted a car driving erratically after leaving downtown. They followed the vehicle and ended up calling 911.

Police were quickly able to locate the car and pull it over. The driver, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Spc. Gary Diguardi, was arrested for DUI.

He ended up pleading guilty, and said he set a bad example. Outside the courtroom, KTVA’s Joe Vigil told him he was caught after being reported by the citizens’ DUI task force.

“I’m glad they did,” Diguardi said. “That probably saved me and my buddy’s life.”

Calls from the citizens’ DUI task force have resulted in 23 DUI arrests since August, police said.

Update, Saturday 10 p.m.

Tamborrino was Degenstein’s boyfriend, and a neighbor told police the two had been arguing earlier in the week after Degenstein found out Tamborrino was seeing other women.

Both had been drinking and playing with guns at his apartment when she shot him. When police arrived they found two handguns on a coffee table. Tamborrino was sitting on the couch, bleeding, but was breathing.

When police removed Degenstein from the apartment, she said something to the effect of: “I can’t believe I did this,” according to charging documents.

Officers noted that she smelled strongly of alcohol and had what appeared to be blood on her pants, sandals and foot, the charging documents said.

Tamborrino was rushed by medics to the hospital where he later died, according to police.

If convicted, Degenstein could face up to 99 years in prison.

Update, Saturday 3:30 p.m.

Anchorage police have identified the victim as 24-year-old Ryan Tamborrino.

Original story:

ANCHORAGE- Anchorage police arrested and charged 27-year-old Bonnie Degenstein with murdering an adult male inside a Midtown home late Friday night.

Anchorage police said it happened on 54th Avenue near Arctic Boulevard.

Degenstein told 911 dispatchers she and the victim were playing with a gun when she accidentally shot him, according to police.

Investigators believe alcohol is a factor in the shooting.

Degenstein is charged with second-degree murder.

This is a developing story. KTVA 11 will have a full report tonight at 5 p.m.

ANCHORAGE – Police responded to a report Saturday around 5 p.m. of a man found dead in his home located on the 20600 block of Mountain Vista Drive in Eagle River.

A friend told police they had been trying to make contact with 32-year-old Andrew Conn via phone during the day, according to police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro.

The friend then went to check on Conn at his residence and discovered him dead. The friend alerted neighbors who alerted authorities, police said.

APD detectives and the Crime Scene Team are investigating Conn’s death as a homicide. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death. Police are asking anyone with information to call 786-8900. You can also submit a tip anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP or by visiting AnchorageCrimeStoppers.com. 

ANCHORAGE – A head-on collision was reported near mile 54 of the Glenn Highway late Friday night.

Peter Wilson, 61, was driving a Ford pickup south on the Glenn Highway when he crossed the center line and crashed into a Mitsubishi traveling north, according to trooper dispatch.

Paramedics transported the driver of the sedan, 45-year-old Gerhard Jakits, to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Wilson was also taken to the hospital for treatment.

Troopers later arrested Wilson and charged him with DUI and assault in the first degree.