A Fort Yukon man has been charged with felony assault in an attack that left a man with a seriously injured eye.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://bit.ly/1y6CBPT) reports 31-year-old Lloyd James Luke is being held at Fairbanks Correctional Center with bail set at $65,000.

A man told Fort Yukon police Luke broke into his home and began beating him for no reason. A witness backed up his story.

Police say the man was beaten so badly, his eye was swollen shut and its pupil did not react to light.

Luke is also charged with burglary and resisting arrest.

A judge ordered Luke to stay out of Fort Yukon unless a court order is changed.

Fort Yukon is a village of 600 about 145 miles northeast of Fairbanks.

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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

A Fairbanks man who shot a woman in the face with what he said he thought was a replica lighter was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison with two suspended.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://bit.ly/1vOf2qT) reports Edward Ginnis in June pleaded guilty to third-degree assault, a felony.

Ginnis on March 17, 2013, shot Teil Diaz between the eyes with a .22-caliber handgun. He told investigators it was an accident.

Diaz suffered serious, lifelong injuries.

Fairbanks District Attorney Michael says the charge was determined by culpable mental status.

He says if the state could prove Ginnis picked up the gun that looked like a lighter and aimed it at Diaz, he would have faced attempted murder charges.

Friends and family of Diaz said a two-year sentence was too short.

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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

A 69-year-old Wasilla man is facing murder charges after he allegedly shot and killed his daughter late Tuesday night.

Michael Wolverton has been charged with first-and second-degree murder and fourth-degree misconduct involving a weapon, according to court records. He made his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.

Just before 11 p.m. Tuesday, Wolverton called 911 to report he had shot and killed his daughter — 47-year-old Shannan Wolverton — at his home on Mariah Drive, located off Wasilla-Fishook Road, according to a sworn affidavit filed by Sgt. Michael Henry with Alaska State Troopers.

The 69-year-old told a dispatcher he shot his daughter in the face following an argument about her bringing home a man he didn’t approve of, the affidavit says. The man, who has not been identified, was not at the home when the shooting occurred, Wolverton told authorities.

The dispatcher also asked Wolverton if Shannan had threatened him.

“Michael answered in the affirmative, but he did not elaborate,” Henry wrote.

An investigator sent to the scene of the alleged crime observed that Wolverton smelled of alcohol. He provided a breath sample a little before 1 a.m. Wednesday that registered a .135 BrAC, the affidavit says.

Wolverton said he had three shots of brandy Tuesday night. When he went to his room to sleep, he said Shannan, who had been living with him for a few months, followed him “and was nagging him,” Henry wrote.

Wolverton said Shannan wouldn’t listen to him when he asked her to leave. He pulled out his .44 caliber pistol and told her to go away again, the affidavit says. Later, however, he told Henry he woke up to Shannan in his bedroom, “screaming at him from the end of his bed.”

“He said Shannan asked, ‘What are you going to do, shoot me?’ Michael said Shannan told him to go ahead and shoot her and she repeated that three times,” Henry wrote.

Then, Wolverton opened fire, he said. Her remains have been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy, troopers said. A bullet recovered from Wolverton’s bedroom and the pistol will also be sent to a crime lab for comparison.

Henry said he interviewed Wolverton a few hours after his daughter’s death. Wolverton told the sergeant his family suspects Shannan had a mental health disorder, but was never diagnosed.

“Michael said she occasionally has episodes where she yells a lot and sometimes gets physically violent,” Henry said.

Her fit Tuesday night, however, was different because Wolverton said she was more aggressive. Wolverton also told Henry he “felt vulnerable because his health is poor.”

Shawn Wolverton, Wolverton’s son, told an investigator Shannan did have a history of violence.

–Editor’s note: Troopers initially provided an incorrect spelling of Shannan Wolverton’s name. The story has been revised to correct the error. 

Alaska State Troopers are searching for two men who reportedly escaped from the Northstar Center in Fairbanks and stole a car.

Tuesday around 11:40 p.m., troopers received a report that 20-year-old Damtrey J. Rice of North Pole and 33-year-old Daniel L. Crow of Fairbanks had escaped through a window in the halfway house, says an online dispatch posted Wednesday morning.

According to troopers, both men are believed to be involved in the theft of a grey 1997 Mercury Sable, Alaska license plate of DNG123, which was swiped from the parking lot of the nearby Blue Loon bar not long after their escape.

Rice and Crow could face second-degree escape charges. Fairbanks troopers ask anyone with information regarding the men or the car to call them at 451-5100.

Updated Oct. 8, 10:30 p.m.

A foster child was arraigned in court today on first-degree murder, among other charges, in the death of his foster father.

Peter John Henry is 16 years old, but “due given the nature of the charges,” the judge at the arraignment said he would be charged as an adult.

The assigned district attorney for the state says he was present when Henry described the act of killing his foster parent, 64-year-old Marvell Johnson, host of “Soul to Soul,” a music show on a public radio station.

“He had just a stone cold demeanor when he described how easy it was for him to kill Marvell [Johnson],” said the state attorney. “I believe that Mr. Peter Henry presents the most serious of dangers to our community.”

Henry was taken into custody Tuesday after authorities responded to a report that a foster child shot and killed his foster father in East Anchorage.

Charging documents indicate Henry was upset with Johnson for going through his room and taking away his vapor cigarette charger.

Henry is also charged with coercion, after police say he threatened to kill another teenager in the house if he told anyone about the murder. State prosecutors indicate that the teen was another foster child being cared for by Johnson.

Charging documents say Henry told the foster sibling to put the gun in a creek and destroy the home’s surveillance system.

Christy Lawton, director of the state’s Office of Children’s Services, says her staff is looking at reaching out to current foster parents to reassure them.

“Encouraging them to call if they have had any concerns or issues with kids or youth in their home,” said Lawton. “Those are things they are required to report to us if there were concerns.”

Henry’s foster sibling told police that Henry was recently grounded for using the synthetic drug known as spice. OCS can’t confirm if Henry had a violent past, but court records show he had minor run-ins with the law in Kotzebue.

Karen Forrest, director of the state’s Division of Juvenile Justice, says even though this is the second murder of a foster parent within three months, cases like these don’t happen often.

“There has not been an incident of a shooting or serious event like this with a foster parent for many, many years,” said Forrest. “We will be reviewing the situations and see what we can learn from what has occurred going forward.”

OCS says it will also review the shooting, along with policies and procedures, to see what can be learned.

Henry’s bail was set at $500,000 cash performance plus a third-party custodian. The teen is also not allowed any contact with two students at Bartlett High School who have spoken to police regarding the incident.

Henry is scheduled for a pre-indctment hearing tomorrow, Oct. 9, at the Nesbett Courthouse, where he is expected to enter a plea.

A suspect is in custody following an hours-long standoff in Mountain View Thursday, police say.

The man, identified as 26-year-old Eric Nebreja, locked himself in a residence on the 200 block of North Flower Street. He later surrendered after police deployed tear gas into the apartment he was hiding in, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

In an alert sent out around 1:30 p.m., police said gas could be deployed to apprehend the suspect if negotiations failed. Nearby residences and businesses were evacuated in case of gas deployment, and authorities asked people in the area to close windows and doors.

Nearby roads were closed off during the standoff and police sent out alerts advising people to avoid the area.

Glen Ellis, who manages the Shell station on Mountain View Drive near Price Street, said it all started in the Shell parking lot.

“A gentleman was getting ready to pull out of my parking lot, apparently he saw something he didn’t like, decided to back his car up and backed into my truck,” he said.

Ellis went outside and confronted the man. A few moments later, an unmarked police car pulled up in front of the man “to keep him from going anywhere,” Ellis said.

At that point, the man jumped out of his car and took off running.

When he ran across Price Street, Ellis watched the man reach into a jacket pocket.

“I don’t know what he was reaching for in his pocket, but a .45 magazine fell out.”

In a statement released around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, APD said Nebreja was wanted on several felony warrants including weapons misconduct, assault and escape. When an officer recognized Nebreja’s car in the parking lot of the Shell station, police said Nebreja attempted to drive away, then fled on foot when the officer blocked his car and tried to contact him.

The officer ran after Nebreja and deployed his Taser, but APD said Nebreja fought through the Taser and pointed a handgun at two officers. At one point, police said, he pointed the handgun at his own head and threatened to commit suicide.

Nebreja was taken into custody several hours later, and police said he was driven to a local hospital to be medically cleared for tear gas inhalation and a minor cut to his leg. According to APD, Nebreja faces multiple charges in connection with Thursday’s standoff: three counts of third-degree assault and single counts of third-degree weapons misconduct, first-degree burglary, resisting arrest, tampering with evidence, third-degree criminal mischief, driving without a license and intent to distribute heroin.

A 31-year-old Juneau man has been arrested after he allegedly stole $41,000 worth of jewelry from a Costco last month.

Authorities in Juneau arrested Joseph John Finn Wednesday afternoon for the Sept. 17 burglary, according to a press release from the Juneau Police Department. He is charged with second-degree burglary, a class C felony, and first-degree theft, a class B felony, in connection with the alleged crime.

The 31-year-old was additionally charged with second degree misconduct involving controlled substances, a class A felony, for drugs in his possession when he was arrested, JPD said. Daricka Clark, 29, of Juneau was arrested with Finn and also charged with second-degree misconduct involving controlled substances.

Police say they’ve recovered about $32,000 worth of stolen jewelry, which includes watches, rings and necklaces, according to the Juneau Empire. Some pieces, including high-end watches, have not yet been found. An investigation is ongoing, the JPD release says, and more people will likely be charged.

Courtesy the Anchorage Police Department

Anchorage police are asking for help finding a woman with a felony warrant who is also wanted for questioning regarding a Thursday standoff in Mountain View.

Shayna Beltran, 22, has a felony warrant for her arrest for theft, according to the Anchorage Police Department and court records. She also has a misdemeanor warrant for false information and is wanted for questioning about an standoff between an armed, barricaded man and police. The suspect was forced out of an apartment on North Flower Street after police deployed tear gas.

Beltran is described as 5-foot-3 and 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes, APD says. Police ask anyone with information to call them at 786-8900.

A 21-year-old man faces two counts of first-degree murder after allegedly killing his parents with a hatchet in the western Alaska community of Shageluk.

Everett Semone told his sister that “something took over something in [his] mind,” according to a police affidavit filed in Aniak District Court Thursday. The affidavit states Semone attacked his parents in their Shageluk home Tuesday evening. Flossie Semone, 46, and John Arrow, 57, were later found dead from multiple hatchet wounds to their heads and upper bodies.

According to the affidavit, Madeline Semone jumped out of the home’s back window when Everett Semone began attacking their parents sometime before 9 p.m. Madeline Semone contacted another brother, Jarrett Semone, who called Roger Hamilton, 1st chief of the Shageluk Native Tribe. While Hamilton responded to the home to treat the two injured people, his wife, Alana Notti, called the Bethel Police Department, which in turn contacted Alaska State Troopers.

Around 10 p.m., Hamilton spoke with AST Sgt. Nicholas Zito by phone, and told him that Arrow and Flossie Semone both suffered visible wounds to their heads and faces. Flossie Semone was dead, Hamilton said.

Just before 4 a.m. Wednesday, Hamilton called Zito and told him that Everett Semone had returned to the scene of the crime and surrendered. He “came out of the grass in front of the house adjacent to the smoke shed,” according to the affidavit, and there was blood on his pants. He was cooperative, Hamilton said, and was being held at the Shageluk City Office while the community waited for troopers to arrive.

When two troopers made it to the town later that day, Flossie Semone and Arrow were found dead on the floor of their home — Semone in the living area and Arrow at the end of a hallway leading from the front door. Their wounds were “consistent with the use of a hatchet,” according to court documents.

A community statement, co-signed by Hamilton, expressed Shageluk’s outrage over the lack of immediate emergency medical and law enforcement response.

Everett Semone was arrested and scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Bethel.

A Wednesday fire in an unoccupied Wasilla home is being investigated as a suspected arson, Alaska State Troopers said.

A neighbor saw smoke coming from the residence on North Rainbow Park Drive and called 911 around 2:50 p.m., according to an online AST dispatch posted Thursday afternoon. State troopers responded to the scene, along with a Deputy Fire Marshal from Anchorage.

The home sustained more than $25,000 in damage, AST said.

A 25-year-old man has been charged with arson after he allegedly broke into a Subway in West Anchorage Wednesday night and started a fire.

Christopher Kenneth James Homa was arrested and charged with first-degree arson and third-degree criminal mischief in connection with the fire reported around 11 p.m. at a Subway located at 1307 W. Northern Lights Blvd., according to the Anchorage Police Department.

When authorities arrived at the restaurant, which was closed at the time, police saw smoke in the building and could hear noise coming from the ceiling, according to a case synopsis provided by APD.

“The suspect came down from the ceiling and landed on the floor, then attempted to leave the business on foot,” the synopsis says.

Homa resisted arrest and police were forced to use a Taser on him before he was taken into custody, APD said.

Alaska State Troopers investigating a home burglary in Two Rivers were on hand to make an arrest when a man showed up with gloves and a handgun stolen from the home.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://bit.ly/ZqqaPU) reports 35-year-old Levi Retynski was arrested Sunday on theft charges.

He also was charged with attempted murder. Prosecutors say he pulled out a stolen gun and tried to shoot a resident who attempted to detain him.

Two Rivers is 24 miles east of Fairbanks.

Residents told investigating troopers Sunday a burglar had taken items, including a truck, and left behind another truck.

Retynski returned Sunday and said he was there to pick up the truck.

Residents attempted to detain him. Troopers say he pulled out the gun and attempted to fire but was subdued.

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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

A welfare check turned into a lockdown Monday afternoon after a 19-year-old showed up near a school with a gun, Alaska State Troopers say.

The Wasilla man was charged with second-degree misconduct involving a weapon, a felony, after he was found near Burchell High School with a semi-automatic rifle, court records show.

Monday around 10:30 a.m., trooper Jason Crockett said he responded to a home for a welfare check of a reportedly suicidal man, but wasn’t able to locate the 19-year-old, according to a sworn affidavit.

A little before 2 p.m., Crockett responded to Burchell for a report of a silent panic alarm coming from the school, the affidavit says. A student had notified the principal that something could be “amiss” and the school was placed on lockdown, lasting about 30 minutes, according to Mat-Su Borough School District spokeswoman Catherine Esary.

The man, who had the gun with him in his car, was reported to be in the Wasilla Bible Church parking lot, which is behind Burchell High and offers a clear view of the bus-loading area.

Authorities tried to contact the man, who “was making furtive movements inside the car and reached numerous times into the back seat area of the car,” which is where he said his weapon was, the affidavit says.

An officer approached the driver’s window holding a window punch, Crockett wrote. As the officer pressed the device against the glass, the man reached for the rifle in the backseat, causing two officers to fear for their lives and safety, according to the affidavit.  He was told to put the gun down, which had a 30-round magazine loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition.

The officer broke the window with the punch and a Taser was used to disable the man. He was also charged with two counts of third-degree assault for causing the officers to fear for their lives.

After he was in custody, the man said: “I wasn’t going to hurt you guys, you freaked me out and I didn’t know what to do,” Crockett wrote.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255).

UPDATE: William Virgil Gulliford, 26, was arrested Thursday after a citizen spotted him in Spenard, police said.

The Anchorage Police Department is asking for your help in locating 26-year-old William Virgil Gulliford.

Gulliford is wanted on a felony warrant for violating his probation tied to an attempted Sexual Assault of a Minor conviction, according to APD.

Police describe him as 5-foot-10-inches tall, approximately 200 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.

If you have any information regarding Gulliford’s location, call 786-8900, Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP or submit your tip at: www.anchoragecrimestoppers.com

A 19-year-old Kasilof man suspected of damaging city of Kenai land planted with colorful wildflowers has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The Peninsula Clarion (http://bit.ly/1wdnpyr) reports a pickup driven by Josiah Mcelwain was found at 3:30 a.m. Monday stuck in a ditch near the meadow.

Kenai Police Sgt. Ben Langham says witnesses reported a truck driving back and forth in the 1.4-acre field along the Spur Highway, creating deep ruts.

Langham says the truck was still moving in the field when officers arrived.

City parks and recreation director Bob Frates estimates half the field was destroyed.

Online court records did not list an attorney for Mcelwain.

Information from: (Kenai, Alaska) Peninsula Clarion, http://www.peninsulaclarion.com

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The death of a woman who went missing nearly a month ago is under investigation as a homicide, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

In a brief statement released Thursday evening, APD said 54-year-old Irma Williams’ body was discovered in Mountain View Wednesday morning. Williams, who lived in the neighborhood, was last seen in mid-September, her family said. Police said a missing person report was filed Sept. 30.

Thursday afternoon, members of APD’s search team combed through the woods at Mountain View Lions Park and said the entire forest was considered a crime scene. An APD statement released after Williams’ September disappearance said she was known to frequent Lions Park — as well as Davis Park and Mizelle Park — and often rode a blue bicycle.

Police said anyone with information on Williams’ death is asked to call APD dispatch at 786-8900.

Alaska State Troopers are looking for another escapee from the Northstar Center in Fairbanks.

Cody Ladig, 35, of Fairbanks ran from the center Thursday around 9:30 p.m., according to an online dispatch posted Friday morning. Troopers were notified about his disappearance at about 11 p.m. Thursday night.

Ladig was sentenced and furloughed Sept. 15 for first-degree attempted burglary and was required to stay at Northstar until mid-June of next year. He could face a second-degree escape charge for leaving the facility, troopers say.

Troopers ask anyone with information on Ladig’s whereabouts to call them at 451-5100.

Earlier this month, two men reportedly escaped from the halfway house and then stole a car.

A 52-year-old Alaskan faces a felony charge of second-degree terroristic threatening after allegedly telling police that the next plane to take off from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport would explode.

Joe E. Cunningham placed the call to the Anchorage Police Department around 9 p.m. Oct. 11, according to charging documents filed in Anchorage District Court. Flights were grounded for approximately 20 minutes while authorities investigated the threat, and charging documents state police were able to identify the caller’s phone number and trace the phone to the area of Spenard Road and Aviation Avenue.

Police located Cunningham, and said he was in possession of the phone used to place the threatening call.

He also had a no-bail arrest warrant for violating a protective order, and a probation violation warrant stemming from a first-degree attempted burglary charge, according to charging documents.

A driver trying to dodge police was arrested after a crash near a Juneau high school Monday.

Jose Angel Munoz, 42, was arrested after a collision with an 82-year-old driver, according to a press release from the Juneau Police Department. He was wanted on a warrant issued Sept. 26 for drug and felony driving-under-the-influence charges.

An officer saw Munoz near Juneau-Douglas High School Monday around 10:45 a.m. and tried to make a traffic stop, the JPD release says, but Munoz sped into a neighborhood, uphill from the school.

Munoz crashed as he was making a left turn near the school. He tried to run away, but surrendered after he was held at Taser point. The 82-year-old driver, a woman from Douglas, was not injured.

Munoz now faces five new charges. He was found to have narcotics and was charged with drug misconduct. Munoz was also charged with failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer, failure to render aid, reckless driving and driving without a valid driver’s license. He has previously has been convicted for driving under the influence, the Juneau Empire reported.

Police say they are looking for a suspect and a stolen truck after an early morning robbery in South Anchorage.

The victim told police she was trying to find a parking spot at an apartment complex on the 1700 block of Lore Road around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday when she was approached by a handgun-wielding woman, according to a statement from the Anchorage Police Department. The suspect then demanded that the victim get out the truck she was in.

“[T]he suspect then fled the scene in the stolen vehicle leaving the victim unharmed,” the APD statement says.

The truck is described as a light gray 2001 GMC extended-cab pickup truck with Alaska license plate DZZ204. The truck had a pink “907″ sticker on the back window and an “Alaska pride” sticker on the tailgate, APD said. There was also a large dent in the middle of the passenger side of the vehicle.

Police describe the suspect as a white female in her 20s who is about 5 feet tall. Clothing description isn’t available at the moment, the statement says.

Police ask anyone with information to call them at 786-8900.