Updated Monday, Dec. 21 at 1:30 p.m.

The Anchorage Police Department says an early morning shooting that killed two people is being investigated as a homicide.

Police said in a statement several residents in the area of Tudor Road between Lois Drive and Harding Drive reported hearing shots fired and seeing two vehicles chase each other. When police arrived, they found the body of a young male, identified as 22-year-old Jeramyha Talauega.

Roughly 20 minutes later, police were notified of a male gunshot wound victim, 33-year-old Robin Porter, at a nearby hospital. His wife reportedly drove him to the hospital. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital, according to police.

Porter’s wife, 31-year-old Meghan Pugh, told police the shooting “was over a drug deal that had gone wrong,” a statement from police explained. Porter and Pugh had agreed to meet with Talauega to sell him drugs. Talauega arrived at their meeting place in a vehicle and joined the couple in their vehicle to make the transaction. At some point, an altercation began inside the vehicle and all three began firing shots before Talauega jumped out, police said.

The driver of the other vehicle reportedly chased the couple’s vehicle, but they were able to get away and to the hospital.

Pugh was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and misconduct involving a controlled substance.

Police are still looking for the driver of the vehicle Talauega arrived in, but haven’t released a description of the vehicle or the driver. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Anchorage police at 786-8900.

Police said the two deaths marked the 24th and 25th homicides of 2015.

Original story

Anchorage police are investigating a fatal shooting in the area of Tudor Road and Minnesota Drive.

A report of shots fired came in at about 12:30 a.m. Monday, says Sgt. Eric Smith with the Anchorage Police Department. Two people have been confirmed dead as a result of the shooting, according to a release from APD.

Police responded to the area of Tudor Road and Lois Dr. and also shut down a portion of Lois for several hours.

A truck driver pulled over to the side of the road told KTVA APD said he wouldn’t be able to get his rig through the area until noon.

Police at the scene said there is no threat to public safety at this time and would not give details on possible suspect information. APD said the investigation is still in the early stages.

APD’s Crime Scene Team has been at the scene processing evidence in the early morning hours, and APD’s Homicide Unit was conducting witness interviews.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

A Wasilla man suspected of breaking into a home early Monday and assaulting a woman is being held without bail at Mat-Su Pretrial Facility.

Alaska State Troopers say the man is suspected of domestic violence kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, burglary, vehicle theft and failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer.

Online court records Monday morning did not list formal charges.

Troopers say the man sometime after midnight broke into the home, struck the woman on the head with a handgun, attempted to sexually assault her and restrained her from leaving.

The woman was able to escape and the man stole her vehicle and fled.

Troopers say he failed to stop for officers on Knik-Goose Bay Road but crashed into an embankment and was arrested.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or

A four-year employee of McLaughlin Youth Center is facing multiple charges after it was discovered he was in a sexual relationship with a minor inmate and attempted to help her escape.

The Anchorage Police Department first began investigating the interactions between the suspect, 47-year-old Phillip Brigham, and a 16-year-old inmate at MYC on Dec. 17, an affidavit submitted by APD Detective Jade Baker explained. Baker was called to the center to meet with administrators of MYC, who had uncovered letters between the pair.

Nicole Cuaresma, unit supervisor of the Girls Treatment Unit at MYC, said Bigham was confronted on Nov. 24 by herself and other supervisors about a number of trips with the victim to an outdoor shed and other areas of the building. She said Bigham “became visibly angry with the staff” and turned in his letter of resignation.

Cuaresma said Bigham’s letter of resignation was accepted, but at his request, he was allowed to continue working for the remainder of the week “to gather his belongings and say his goodbyes to the staff and the inmates,” Baker wrote.

“Cuaresma reported that Bigham was permitted to carry on his duties for the rest of the week and in doing so, was permitted to sign [the victim] out of the building on his last day and take her to the shed,” Baker noted.

After Bigham left MYC, the victim began receiving letters from people in the Anchorage area, which MYC staff found suspicious as the victim was not from Anchorage and, according to staff, did not know anyone from the area.

It was also noted that a new phone number had been added to the victim’s call list, listed as an alternate number for the victim’s father. He was contacted regarding the new number, and said is was not his, court records show. Cuaresma told Baker she called the number “30 to 40 times from her office,” but no one answered the phone.

On Dec. 16, the victim received another letter from someone in Anchorage. The victim was given enough time to open and read the letter before a search was conducted in her room. There staff saw the letter on the bed and determined it was written in Bigham’s handwriting, according to Baker.

The letter outline an escape plan involving the use of a gate code from another staff member, as well as preparations made for the victim at Bigham’s house. Bigham reportedly told the victim he “had made a bedroom in his garage for her,” Baker wrote.

Other letters were also found, and the victim was questioned regarding the letters and her interactions with Bigham. She reported at least three sexual encounters with Bigham in the shed and the basement of MYC starting in October and on his last day of work. She also stated their relationship had  been “professional” until she attempted suicide and he helped get her to the hospital.

“She said that after that, the two of them began a relationship that she characterized as a ‘dad and daughter’ relationship,” according to Baker. “[The victim] said that Bigham would give her candy and popcorn and would let her use his phone for Facebook.”

The victim also claimed Bigham asked her to go to a bathroom and take pictures of herself on his phone, and when she returned, he asked her if she had taken any naked pictures; she stated she had not.

Baker stated in court documents she asked the victim to call Bigham on Dec. 18. The phone call was recorded and during their conversation, Bigham asked her if she was still planning on going through with their plan for her to escape, which included picking her up at a nearby McDonald’s in his “big silver Chevy,” according to Baker.

Bigham told the victim he had to go, “because he was going in for a job interview at the Covenant House,” Baker noted in her affidavit. He said he “was glad to hear her voice and that he missed talking to her,” and before hanging up, told her he loved her.

Police arrested Bigham that same day and transported him to the Anchorage Correctional Complex. He faces multiple charges, including five counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, one count of second-degree attempted escape and one count of second-degree conspiracy to commit escape.

Bigham worked as a supervisor in the MYC Girls Treatment Center from Dec. 1, 2014 to Nov. 27, 2015.

Joel Joseph

TVTV Fairbanks

A suspect in the May shooting death of 23-year-old John Kavairlook Jr. was in Fairbanks court Tuesday for his arraignment after he was arrested in Texas in October.

Joel Roland Joseph, 26, faces a charge of first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail. Joseph reportedly fled Alaska two days after the May 17 shooting, which took place at the Rock ‘n Rodeo bar.

On the night of the shooting, Kavairlook and another male were fighting inside the bar when they were escorted outside by security. Kavairlook’s wife, Shalene Kavairlook, also left the bar. The fight began again in the nearby Walgreens parking lot around 2:30 a.m., at which point three other males joined the fight.

Kavairlook’s wife said she was punched in the stomach and mouth by the men, according to court records. She then heard several shots and turned to find her husband lying on the ground. Surveillance footage obtained by Walgreens security showed the suspects ducking behind some vehicles and then firing shots at Kavairlook.

Eric Zeigler, a bouncer for the bar, said he went outside after hearing a call for help when the second fight began, and said he heard Joseph yell “bust em” just before the shots rang out, court records show.

Fairbanks police found 13 shell casings at the scene, and several bullets were found inside the store, having been fired through the windows. Images from the Walgreens surveillance footage were distributed to the public in an attempt to identify the four suspects.

On the day of the shooting, David Joseph, Joseph’s brother, reported a stolen Glock 19 9mm pistol, which he said was missing from his garage. He stated he had shown the gun to his brother and his brother’s friend, but he didn’t believe his brother had stolen it. However, cell phone records revealed the brothers had spoken between the time of the shooting and when the gun was reported stolen.

The gun was later turned in after being found in a lake behind the Wedgewood Resort by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee and a group of students. The investigation revealed the group of suspects stayed at the resort until the night of the shooting. Demarius Hinson, one of the shooting suspects, arranged with hotel staff for left behind items to be shipped to Anchorage.

U.S. Marshals and detectives with the New Braunfels Police Department arrested Joseph in Selma, Texas on Oct. 27.

Hinson was arrested on Oct. 28 in Orlando, Fla., and charged with first-degree hindering prosecution. Fairbanks police said he fled the country after the homicide and then returned to the U.S.

Joseph’s brother was arrested in Anchorage and indicted on a single count of first-degree hindering prosecution.

Two other suspects involved in the shooting have yet to be identified by law enforcement.

Alaska State Troopers are investigating a burglary at the Kotlik Head Start building.

The burglary was reported on Sunday at 3:16 p.m., according to an online trooper dispatch.

At least one suspect entered the building by breaking a window, troopers said.

AST spokeswoman Megan Peters said a theft also occurred during the burglary, but wouldn’t elaborate on what had been taken.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Kotlik Village Police or the Emmonak trooper post at 907-949-1300.

James Clinton

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – An Anchorage grand jury has indicted a man suspected of killing a fellow prisoner at the Anchorage Correctional Center.

Alaska State Troopers say 20-year-old James Clinton was indicted on three counts including first-degree murder in the death of 53-year-old Mark Canul.

A corrections officer found Canul unconscious at about 1:30 p.m. Dec. 11 during a routine security check of inmates.

Responders administered CPR and Canul was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Trooper investigators concluded that Clinton assaulted Canul.

The grand jury also indicted Clinton on two counts of second-degree murder.

Clinton is represented by the public defender’s office, which routinely does not comment on open cases.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

A 24-year-old Anchorage resident is facing multiple charges after leading police on a chase and then crashing into a gas pump pillar near Dowling Road on Friday.

An Anchorage police officer saw a red 2005 Chevrolet Malibu driving recklessly on the Old Seward Highway around 11:24 p.m., according to a statement from police.

“The vehicle was swerving across lanes and hit the median several times,” police wrote.

The officer tried to pull the vehicle over near the intersection of Old Seward and Gambell Street, but the driver refused to stop and continued southbound on the highway, driving at approximately 30 miles per hour, according to police.

The vehicle ran a red light at Old Seward and International Airport Road and then accelerated. The driver, identified as Brittany Haselow, attempted to make a right turn onto Dowling but became airborne due to her high speed. She “ran over a curb and up a hill, crashed through a fence” and then collided with a cement barrier pillar at a Tesoro gas station.

Both the vehicle and the pillar were damaged extensively, according to police, but “there were no observations of any gas leaking from the pump itself.”

Haselow crawled out of the driver’s side window and tried to run away from the crash, police said. Several officers were already at the scene and took Haselow into custody before she escaped from the parking lot. She was evaluated at the scene for minor injuries.

A male passenger in Haselow’s vehicle was uninjured during the crash and was not charged with any crime.

Police noted a gun was found in the vehicle, a violation of Haselow’s status as a felon.

Haselow faces charges of operating under the influence of alcohol, third-degree criminal mischief, third-degree misconduct involving a weapon and reckless endangerment, according to police spokeswoman Renee Oistad. Haselow also had a felony warrant out for her arrest. She was taken to the Anchorage Correctional Complex and held on bail of $25,000 cash corporate with a third party custodian and $5,000 cash performance.

A Fairbanks woman is in jail after assaulting someone with a large glass marijuana pipe early Sunday morning.

Alaska State Troopers were called to a North Pole residence just before 2 a.m. for a report of an assault, according to an online dispatch.

In the course of their investigation, troopers discovered 47-year-old Tammy Keturi “assaulted an associate with a large glass marijuana pipe” and hit another with her fists, troopers wrote.

Keturi was arrested and charged with third- and fourth-degree assault. She was taken to the Fairbanks Correctional Center, where she is being held without bail. She was arraigned later that day, according to court records.

Troopers were not immediately available to comment on the status of the two victims.

A 23-year-old Anchorage woman was arrested Sunday after Alaska State Troopers found her passed out behind the wheel with her foot still on the gas pedal.

Troopers were called to Aleknagik Road at 4:10 p.m. to follow up on a report of a potentially intoxicated driver, according to an online trooper dispatch. When they arrived at the scene, troopers found a small white car facing into oncoming traffic.

“The white car was engulfed in white smoke from the front tires, that were still spinning. The tires had been melted down to the rim,” troopers wrote.

The driver, identified as Elena Bartman-Wallman, was passed out in the driver’s seat with her foot still on the gas pedal. Troopers were able to turn the vehicle off safely.

Troopers said multiple witnesses saw other people fleeing the car before help arrived, “leaving Elena in a dangerous situation,” the dispatch said.

Bartman-Wallman was arrested for driving under the influence and driving while her license was revoked. She was taken to the Dillingham Correctional Center and arraigned in Dillingham, where she pleaded guilty to the charges, according to court officials.

The overdose death of a 22-year-old Houston man in early December led the way for the bust of a multi-state drug operation involving at least six people, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Troopers were notified on Dec. 1 of the death of Michael Chalender. AST spokeswoman Megan Peters said a family member found him and reported the death, which the State Medical Examiner concluded was the result of an overdose.

The investigation was headed by the Alaska State Troopers Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit in the Mat-Su Valley (SDEU-MatSu), according to an online trooper dispatch.

The Suspects

On Dec. 2, SDEU-MatSu and the Palmer Patrol arrested 21-year-old Sawyer Gruben, of Fairbanks, as he was leaving the home of 26-year-old Hiram Ducasse, of Palmer. Troopers said they recovered 13.46 grams of heroin and two firearms. Gruben faces charges of second- and fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance. He’s being held at the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility on a $1,500 bail.

The next day, SDEU-MatSu Palmer Patrol and Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team (WAANT) conducted a warranted search of Ducasse’s home, where they found 35 grams — or slightly more than an ounce — of heroin, a handgun and $8,226 in cash. Ducasse was arrested and charged with second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance.

On Dec. 11, investigators searched the Wasilla residence of 29-year-old Samuel Hubbard. During the warranted search, they seized 8.4 grams of meth, 21.7 grams of heroin, eight firearms and $2,164 in cash, troopers said. Hubbard was subsequently arrested on second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance and was taken to the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility under a $25,000 bail.

Troopers then intercepted a fifth suspect in the case, 54-year-old California resident Deborah Thomas, as she arrived at the Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport on Dec. 12. When confronted, Thomas revealed she was transporting drugs internally. She voluntarily removed a total of 107 grams of heroin in the presence of a female officer in a private room at the airport, according to troopers. She was charged with second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance and is being held at the Anchorage Correctional Complex on a $20,000 bail.

Troopers were granted a $50,000 warrant for the arrest of Ducasse’s live-in girlfriend, 23-year-old Angela McCready, for her involvement in the drug ring. She was indicted on second- and fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance. Similarly, a $25,000 warrant was issued for 28-year-old Michael Trudeau, of Wasilla. Neither has been arrested, according to AST spokeswoman Megan Peters.

Results of the Investigation

“In total, 11 search warrants were served resulting in 177 grams of heroin and 8.4 grams of meth with a street value of $53,000, nine firearms — three of which have been confirmed stolen — and $10,390 in currency was seized,” troopers wrote.

Peters said the relationship between Chalender and the group would not be released while troopers continue to investigate.

Alaska State Troopers are investigating the stabbing of a St. Michael teen.

Nome troopers were alerted to the incident in the village of Stebbins on Tuesday afternoon, according to an online trooper dispatch.

The 19-year-old victim was treated at the local clinic for multiple stab wounds and then released, troopers said.

AST spokeswoman Megan Peters noted the victim was not fully cooperating with troopers, but their investigation led to the arrest of 18-year-old Rylan Snowball, a resident of Stebbins. He was taken to the Anvil Mountain Correction Center on the charges of first-degree assault, providing alcohol to a minor and selling alcohol in a dry area.

The investigation into the stabbing is ongoing.

The Anchorage Police Department is investigating a reported stabbing at an apartment in Fairview.

Just before 6 a.m. Wednesday, it was reported to police that reporting that a woman had been stabbed multiple times. Police responded to the residence, located on the 1000 block of E. Ninth Ave, according to a release from APD.

The woman was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening wounds.

Police say a suspect was taken into custody at the residence and also needed medical attention for “a severe cut.”

“Alcohol was believed to have been a factor in the incident,” the release says.

The stabbing is under investigation, APD says, adding that additional information will be released once it becomes available.

FBI Anchorage

FBI Anchorage

Officials with the FBI and the Anchorage Police Department are investigating a robbery which took place around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at an Alaska USA Federal Credit Union branch.

Police received a report of the robbery at the 2600 Debarr Rd. location at around 10:40 a.m Wednesday, according to a release from APD.

The suspect — described as a 5-foot-7 white male, with a medium build in his mid-20′s — ran from the building with an unknown amount of cash, according to police.

“The robbery suspect left the bank on foot and headed southbound towards Airport Heights Elementary,” police wrote.

The same location was also robbed on Nov. 6 of this year. The suspect in that robbery has not been caught, according to FBI spokesperson Staci Feger-Pellessier.

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at (907) 276-4441 or the Anchorage Police Department at (907) 786-8500.

Susanna DiFranco

Source: Facebook

A woman who used the personal money of an elderly woman with dementia for her own personal benefit has been sentenced for the crime.

Susanna DiFranco, 53, illegally obtained a debit card from the 77-year-old victim’s bank and, in the span of a month, spent more than $70,000 on things like a trip to Las Vegas, credit cards and clothes.

She pleaded guilty to wire fraud and access device fraud in October, and was sentenced Wednesday to serve 18 months in a halfway house.

Difranco also has two protective orders against her to prevent her from defrauding her two elderly parents, Harry and Yoshiko Wilkins.

A pizza delivery driver was allegedly robbed by men with weapons Thursday morning, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

Now, APD is asking for the public’s help locating the three robbery suspects.

It was reported to police that just before 11 a.m., a delivery driver was called to deliver pizzas in the area of Northwood Street and Strawberry Road. When the driver arrived and exited the vehicle, he was approached by three tall, thin males who wore ski masks.

“Each one was armed with a weapon including a gun, knife and bat,” APD said of the suspects. “The robbers stole money from the driver and took the pizzas.”

Police say the suspects stole money from the driver and took the pizzas — then fled the area heading east on W. 80th in a black, “boxy” SUV.

“It was reported that the suspect vehicle ran over some small trees and could have some front end damage to it,” an APD release says.

Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to call APD at 786-8900. To provide an anonymous tip, contact Anchorage Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP.

Three people have been arrested in connection with a months-long investigation into a Soldotna tobacco shop.

In October, Alaska State Troopers’ Soldotna office began the investigation into an allegation that Tobacco Distress was selling spice, also known as synthetic cannabis.

More than 500 suspected spice packets were seized and sent to the state crime lab for testing, according to an online AST dispatch.

“As a result of the testing, 146 of those packets were found to contain chemicals controlled under Alaska Statutes,” the dispatch states.

On Wednesday, authorities served search warrants to the residence of the shop’s owners, Phillip and Loren Kneeland, both of Soldotna, which resulted in more than 6,000 packets of spice being seized.

Phillip, 33, was arrested on drug and weapons misconduct charges and remanded to Wildwood Pretrial Facility. Troopers say Loren, 26, was arrested and remanded to Wildwood Pretrial on a weapons misconduct charge. Another person, 27-year-old William Dooley, was also arrested Thursday on drug and weapons misconduct charges in connection to the investigation, AST says.

Troopers say the investigation is ongoing.

Shortly after the start of the new year in Anchorage, gunshots rang out at a Muldoon house party, wounding at least two people.

Just after 1 a.m., the Anchorage Police Department received a report that multiple shots were fired during a house party with more than 50 attendees in the Muldoon area.

Police responded to a residence, located near the 8000 block of Williwa Avenue, where they found a male with a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to the hospital where APD says he is in critical condition.

“A short time later, another gunshot wound victim showed up to a local hospital,” an APD release says. “The victim was treated for a non-life threatening gunshot wound and it was determined that the victim had been shot at the location of the party.”

Police say the investigation is ongoing, with APD detectives currently interviewing multiple witnesses.

No suspects have been identified or taken into custody at this time.

Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to call APD at 786-8900. To provide an anonymous tip, contact Anchorage Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP.

An Alaska State Trooper was injured while attempting to arrest a suspect in Wasilla Thursday.

The trooper pulled over a 2002 Saturn sedan on Copper Creek Road around 7:13 p.m. for equipment violations, troopers said in an online dispatch. When the trooper approached the vehicle, they saw 27-year-old Geoffrey Hansen “attempting to swallow drug paraphernalia.”

Hansen allegedly ignored the trooper’s verbal commands and “forcefully resisted arrest,” and in the process injured the trooper, according to AST. Troopers were not immediately available to comment on the extent of the trooper’s injuries.

Hansen was charged with fourth-degree assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He is being held at the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility under a $2,500 bail.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.

An Akiachak man’s nephew allegedly set his house on fire on Friday while the man was still asleep inside, Alaska State Troopers say.

Troopers were alerted to the fire at 8:05 a.m. The fire was started by 19-year-old John Nick Jr., according to an online dispatch.

Nick and his uncle, 57-year-old George Manutoli, were reportedly arguing about a cigarette prior to the fire, according to troopers. Roughly 30 minutes later, Nick returned to his uncle’s house with a gas can and set the home’s entryway on fire. Manutoli was sleeping inside when the fire was set.

Troopers arrested Nick and charged him with first- and second-degree arson and third-degree criminal mischief. He is being held on a $15,000 bail at the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center.

Akiachak is located northeast of Bethel in western Alaska.

Alaska State Troopers are investigating a break-in at the Pilot Station school that resulted in an estimated $10,000 in damages.

Troopers were contacted by the school’s principal on Sunday, an online dispatch said. The principal explained a break-in had occurred sometime between 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 7:15 a.m. the following morning.

At least one suspect got into the school by a breaking a window in the school office. They then “proceeded to enter various offices by smashing out windows and doors,” troopers wrote.

School staff members were working to compile a list of items that may have been stolen during the break-in, according to troopers.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact troopers in Saint Mary’s at 438-2019.

Pilot Station is a village located along the Yukon River in western Alaska.