A Spring Creek Correctional Center inmate was charged with first-degree harassment after throwing a cup full of human waste and coffee at another inmate.

Alaska State Troopers out of Seward were notified Thursday morning of the incident that occurred the night before, according to an online dispatch.

They spoke with an inmate who said 30-year-old inmate Anatoly Kojin “threw a mixed cup of feces, urine and coffee on him” and some of the contents “got in [the victim's] mouth.”

Kojin refused to talk to troopers about the allegations, troopers wrote.

A charge of first-degree harassment was forwarded to the Kenai District Attorney’s office for review.

K9 Blazer with his handler, Trooper Daron Cooper. Photo courtesy Alaska State Troopers

When an Alaska State Trooper pulled alongside a vehicle on the side of the Parks Highway on Sunday to make sure the driver was not having car troubles, the driver fled, leaving behind a 4-year-old child in what turned out to be a stolen vehicle.

The incident occurred just after 1 a.m., according to an online trooper dispatch. The driver initially gave the trooper false information about his identity before fleeing. The trooper called in backup, including K9 Blazer, who helped subdue the man, later identified as 31-year-old Robert Crawley of Wasilla.

Once the real owner of the vehicle was identified, troopers went to the residence where the vehicle was registered, only to find the home had been burglarized. Investigation at the scene revealed evidence that Crawley had been at the home during the burglary.

Crawley was charged with first-degree vehicle theft, second-degree burglary and providing false information. He was also charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. AST spokeswoman Megan Peters said while it was unclear how Crawley and the child were connected, the child’s presence was not considered suspicious, so kidnapping charges would not likely be filed in the case.

Crawley also had an outstanding warrant for no bail parole for 12 charges of first- and second-degree vehicle theft for an unrelated case, troopers said. He is being held without bail at the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility.

Anchorage police and K9 Kenai apprehended a driver who attempted to flee in a stolen vehicle by ramming it into a police vehicle and then a building.

Police said K9 Officer Scott Huston spotted a stolen Subaru Impreza parked and unoccupied at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Denali Street around 1:20 a.m. Officer Huston kept an eye on the car for about 20 minutes before two people got into the vehicle and attempted to drive away.

Officer Huston, in an effort to prevent them from leaving in the stolen vehicle, pulled up behind the car to block it in, according to a statement from police. The driver of the stolen vehicle proceeded to ram the vehicle into Officer Huston’s vehicle and then into a building.

“The driver then tried to run from the scene, but was apprehended by Officer Huston’s K-9 partner, Kenai,” police said.

Police searched the stolen vehicle and found a handgun on the driver’s side floor. The driver, who was identified as 25-year-old Faofua Afasene, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries from the crash.

After he was cleared by hospital staff, police arrested Afasene and charged him with assault, vehicle theft, resisting arrest, misconduct involving a weapon and criminal mischief in this case. Afasene has another case against him involving similar charges, including fleeing the scene of a collision.

He was taken to the Anchorage Correctional Complex and held on a bail of $27,500 with a third-party custodian requirement.

Police estimate the amount of damage to the stolen Subaru and the building Afasene struck was roughly $2,000.

Anchorage thieves have stolen 16 cars since Monday morning. The Anchorage Police Department says they’re not sure if the thefts are related, but they normally see only one of two cars stolen every other day.

Most of the cars were stolen from residential areas, and most of them were “easy pickings,” like one KTVA found in Spenard: doors unlocked with the engine running with the keys inside.

Neighbor Harlen Adkinson said it’s something he sees all the time and it’s not a risk he’s going to take.

“I have an autostart and I give it a start and let it warm up for a few minutes and I don’t let it run very long,” he said.

APD said this happens every winter. Ronnie Evans, the driver of the idling car in Spenard, explained why he takes the chance.

“I don’t have autostart so I just get it going, keep it warm as much as possible,” Evans said. “Usually it’s to defrost my windows too, so that’s kind of a timely process.”

He’s not alone — Many Anchorage drivers do the same thing. Bridget Elam said a spare key gives her some security.

“I start it with the key, lock the door and I go back in the house,” she said, adding it’s not a habit she’s likely to change.

“In my neighborhood I feel safe, yeah. I’ve been here 10 years and I haven’t had any issues,” Elam said.

That sense of safety is also what keeps Evans rolling the dice.

“I haven’t had any problems in this neighborhood since I’ve lived here,” he said. “Plus I can see my car from my house window.”

However, APD said it only takes a second and you could be like one of the 16 drivers who had to find another way to get around.

“It’s not just in one concentrated area and it’s also not just happening in the mornings either,” explained APD spokeswoman Jennifer Castro. “It’s also happening in the evenings as well.”

She said sometimes cars are stolen for parts. More often, they’re taken by drug users.

“Usually they get dumped somewhere in a neighborhood and people are going to find drug paraphernalia or things like that in them,” Castro said.

Not only is it risky, but leaving a car running with the keys inside is also illegal. Anchorage municipal law says cars can only be left running if an autostart or some other form of keyless ignition is installed.

A man in Palmer, accused of two counts of sexual assault of a minor, has also been accused of using the identity of his deceased brother, Alaska State Troopers say.

On Dec. 15, the Alaska Bureau of Investigations received a report from a mother that two of her daughters had been sexually abused by 59-year-old James Peters approximately 18 years ago. On Jan. 21, an arrest warrant was issued for Peters for multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor and incest.

During the investigation, troopers say investigators uncovered information that Peters has been using the identity of his deceased brother, Raleigh Peters, who’d been dead since 1952. AST says the Palmer man had been using Raleigh’s identity “in an attempt to avoid paying child support in the state of California.”

Peters obtained drivers licenses using both his name and his dead brother’s name in California and Alaska.

“Peters also applied for a social security number under the name Raleigh and has been paying taxes for 30 years using that name,” AST wrote in an online dispatch.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force arrested Peters at his job in Anchorage. He was taken to the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility.

Also notified was the California Department of Revenue. Furthermore, troopers say the Alaska Permanent Fund Division has opened an investigation into Peters collecting dividends for the past several years using his dead brother’s identity.

A man suspected of starting a fire that burned an Anchorage auto body repair shop has been arrested.

The Anchorage Fire Department says 27-year-old Paul Michael Emerson was scheduled for arraignment Wednesday on arson and burglary charges.

Fire crews just after 2 a.m. Jan. 15 found smoke and fire pouring from the shop and an attached steel-framed outbuilding at 800 west International Airport Road just east of Arctic Boulevard.

Vehicles inside and outside both structures were burning.

Witnesses told investigators that a man had been near the fire.

Emerson was questioned. Police and fire officers arrested him Tuesday night.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Sitka National Historic Park

Sitka National Historic Park

Sitka National Historic Park

Sitka National Historic Park

In the span of a week, more than 25 park resources in the Sitka National Historic Park have been “tagged” with felt-tip markers and spray paint.

“Park maintenance crews have been working diligently to remove the graffiti,” park officials said in a statement. “While current weather conditions have temporarily delayed restoration efforts, all of the graffiti will be removed.”

Park officials estimate the total cost of repairing the damage and cleaning off the graffiti will top more than $1,000.

“Graffiti detracts from the natural beauty of the park and can permanently damage irreplaceable community resources,” park officials added.

Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to contact Chief Ranger Neil Akana by calling 907-747-0127 or emailing him at neil_akana@nps.org.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, defacement of government property — including national park resources — is punishable as a federal misdemeanor. If property damage exceeds $100, “the defendant is subject to a fine of up to $250,000, ten years imprisonment, or both.” If the damage is less than $100, a fine of up to $100,000 can be incurred, or up to one year imprisonment, “or both,” the DOJ noted.

Christopher Olson

Anchorage Police Department

The Anchorage Police Department is trying to determine if an Anchorage man accused of trading child pornography online victimized any local children.

An investigation into 31-year-old Christopher Olson began in November, and eventually resulted in a warranted search at Olson’s home on Wednesday, when they recovered media files depicting children between the ages of five and 14 from his computer. Olson was charged with three counts of child pornography distribution and two counts of child pornography possession, but police are concerned he may also have exploited or sexually assaulted children in Anchorage.

Olson was a mentor and sponsor of the U.S. Hockey League, which placed him in regular contact with children, according to APD spokeswoman Renee Oistad.

“Because of Olson’s access to children, Anchorage Police are concerned there may be additional victims of either child sexual exploitation or sexual assault,” Oistad said in a statement.

Anyone with information on Olson’s illicit activities is asked to call police at 786-8900, referencing APD case 16-583. An anonymous tip can also be submitted through CrimeStoppers by calling 561-STOP (7867).

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

Anchorage police are piecing together reports of a shooting that took place Wednesday evening. One person showed up at a local hospital with a gunshot wound, and at least one other witness has been located.

Police were first notified of the shooting at 6:41 p.m. Police found roughly one dozen shell casings on the street in the area of N. Bliss Street and Parsons Ave.

Police spoke with a male juvenile who was mostly uncooperative but did tell police “several shots were fired from a vehicle at him and his friend while they were walking down the street,” a statement from police said. Police could not locate the juvenile’s friend and have not identified him.

While initial reports of a shooting victim were not immediately confirmed, a victim did eventually show up at a hospital, according to police spokeswoman Renee Oistad. She said they had non-life threatening wounds.

Police are continuing to investigate, and say the suspect vehicle involved is described as a “maroon and gray older model SUV.”

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call police at 786-8900.

UPDATED Friday, Jan. 29, 12 p.m.:

The deaths of 20-year-old Foriegnne Aubert-Morissette and 19-year-old Selena Annette Mullenax are being investigated as a double-homicide, police say. Anchorage police are looking for more information about the relationship between the two victims.

It was reported to police that Foriegnne Aubert-Morissette also goes by the name of “Onie.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Cordie at 786-8679 or APD Dispatch at 786-8900.

According to police, no arrests have been made.

Earlier story versions

UPDATE: Police have just confirmed that the second victim found at Point Woronzof this morning, has died at the hospital.

Detectives have identified the two people found this morning as a male and a female. They have yet to identify them by name, and are in the process of notifying next of kin.

Both people were found on the beach just below the parking lot at Point Woronzof. Homicide detectives are continuing their investigation into the circumstances leading to their deaths, police said.

Original Story

Police have found a second victim at Point Woronzof.  The unnamed person is being taken to the hospital with critical injuries.

Police were originally called just after 8:30 Thursday morning to the report of a body found.

Police are asking people to avoid the area of Point Woronzof.

Thursday morning just after 8:30 police were called by someone who found a body at Point Woronzof.

Airport and Anchorage Police are responded, and APD is investigating.

This is a developing story, we will have more as it becomes available.

Anchorage police say a Friday morning church fire was started by someone who broke into the building.

The fire, located at the Lutheran Church of Hope on the 1800 block of W. Northern Lights Boulevard,

Someone broke in through a back window of the church, tore through the office, then used paperwork from inside to start the fire in the kitchen, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

The blaze activated the sprinkler system — which doused the fire before it could spread to other parts of the church, authorities say.

Police are looking to find the people who vandalized an Anchorage church Friday morning, then set it on fire. It happened at the Lutheran Church of Hope on Northern Lights Boulevard.

Vandals broke a window to get inside, ripped through some mail, tipped over the baptismal font in the sanctuary, then set a fire in the kitchen.

Church Council member Megan Bladow said it was clear that the fire was set intentionally. She said the vandals placed books and papers on top of the lit stove burners.

Fortunately, the churches’ sprinkler system worked and the fire was contained to the kitchen.

Bladow said Sunday services will be held at the church this weekend, but Hope Lutheran Preschool will be closed all of next week.

The Anchorage Police Department is investigating a shooting that left two people injured early Saturday morning. Police said neither victim would cooperate with them.

Police said the investigation was initiated when an APD sergeant reported hearing several gunshots in the area of Fourth Avenue and Gambell Street around 3 a.m. Another APD sergeant saw a dark-colored pickup truck run a red light in the same area immediately after the first report. The truck was fleeing at a high rate of speed, according to police.

When officers arrived in the area to investigate, a patrol officer near Karluk Street and Eighth Avenue saw a white sedan heading in another direction. She heard several gunshots, and “saw a dark silver sedan get behind the white sedan,” police wrote.

“A male in the silver car was seen hanging outside of the vehicle, with his upper body above the roof (while the vehicle was in motion), firing shots at the white car,” according to police.

The patrol officer lost sight of both vehicles, but another officer spotted the silver sedan and gave chase. The sedan led officers towards the Glenn Highway, but officers were not able to keep up because other vehicles on the road would not yield to them. By the time police caught up to the sedan, “it had crashed at Bragaw and the Glenn Highway and the two occupants had run from the area on foot,” police said.

A K9 was dispatched to the area to assist officers searching for the two suspects from the sedan, but the search was unsuccessful.

While conducting their search for the suspects, police were notified that two people suffering from gunshot wounds had been dropped off at a local hospital. The male victim had been shot in the lower backside, and the female victim had been shot in the leg. Both injuries were non-life threatening, according to police.

Police tried to talk to the victims about their injuries, but both “were very uncooperative,” police wrote. The male victim was released from the hospital after receiving treatment.

Police said they have leads on the suspects involved, but are not releasing any information on their identities at this time. Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact them at 786-8900.

Hillside residents are frustrated. They say their mailboxes are getting hit by thieves two or three times every week.

“We just want our mail,” said theft victim Reva Katz, who’s lost everything from Christmas cards to her husband’s heart medication. ”I don’t have that long left. I have better things to do than worry about the mail.”

It’s a feeling her neighbors, like Jillian Simpson, share.

“It definitely makes me feel very vulnerable,” Simpson said. “I initially think it’s just a one-off thing, just somebody random doing it, but now realizing that it’s a very targeted, planned thing that’s happening and continues to happen.”

Their mail has been disappearing regularly since November. Calls to the Postal Inspector and the police have had no impact.

“We feel violated and we’re frustrated and there’s been, from our perception, no action on it,” Simpson said.

“They tell us buy lock boxes — $200 a piece,” Katz said. “Or buy one of those [cluster mail box]. That’s $400 a person. That’s half my disability check.”

The Postal Inspector said they are investigating the theft, which is a federal crime, and they understand people’s frustrations. They said victims can help by reporting specific dates their mail goes missing. Also, report stolen items that are trackable, like credit cards, gift cards and checks. That way, the inspector can see if someone tries to use them.

Dawn Peppinger, marketing manager for the U.S. Postal Service Alaska district said there’s other things people can do to protect themselves: Check your mailbox right after delivery, don’t leave mail out overnight and if you’re going to be away for a few days, put your mail on hold.

Peppinger said you can also rent a PO box at a post office for around $100 every six months.

“It’s in the building. They have to have a key to access the box and so we promote PO boxes as a secure way to get your mail,” Peppinger said.

Katz said they shouldn’t have to go that far to protect their mail. She said she’d like to see the mailboxes moved so they are in front of each person’s house, rather than clustered together at the end of the street. That would allow people to keep an eye on their box and make them less of an easy target for thieves.

To report stolen mail, go to the Postal Inspector’s website or call 1-877-876-2455.

If you see someone suspicious around your mailbox, you’re asked to call police.

The Juneau Police Department says they’ve made an arrest in a homicide investigation that began in late 2014 with the death of 50-year-old Christopher Kenney.

On Jan. 29, JPD arrested 28-year-old Nora Thomas, with the help of Wasilla and Palmer police, and charged her with two counts of second-degree murder for Kenney’s death. She was taken to the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility and held on a bail of $250,000.

On Nov. 29, 2014, Juneau police were initially called to the Northwood Drive Kenney’s residence for a report of a man injured by a knife. When emergency responders arrived around 5:26 a.m., they found Kenney suffering from a stab wound to the chest. He was taken to Bartlett Regional Hospital, where he later died.

Police were not immediately available to comment on the case or how Kenney an Thomas were connected.

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

Scene of the shooting

Eric Ruble / KTVA 11

An East Anchorage shooting early Sunday morning left one injured, according to the Anchorage Police Department. They also noted lack of cooperation from the victim and witnesses at the scene have made the investigation difficult.

Multiple callers reported the shooting around 2 a.m., police said in a statement. Shortly after police responded to the area where the shots were reported, a local hospital notified them a gunshot victim had walked in to the emergency room.

The male suffered a single gunshot wound to his torso, according to police. Police tried to interview the male, who gave them information to connect him to the shooting but was “otherwise completely uncooperative.” Police arrested him on two unrelated warrants after he was released from the hospital.

Police found the scene of the shooting at a home on the 2600 block of Havitur Way. While witnesses at the scene were uncooperative, police were able to determine the shooting occurred outside, with at least one shot striking the house.

“Evidence shows there was a gathering of people at the home and some type of disagreement occurred,” police said. “At least three different weapons were fired multiple times outside of the residence.”

Police said they recovered a stolen vehicle from the scene.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact police at 786-8900. Anonymous tips can be submitted through CrimeStoppers by calling 561-STOP (7867).

Car spray painted by thieves

Loth and Demilyn Sayavong

Car spray painted by thieves

Loth and Demilyn Sayavong

Bag of reportedly stolen items left behind by car thief

Loth and Demilyn Sayavong

Car spray painted by thieves

Loth and Demilyn Sayavong

During a single shift, Anchorage police officers were able to recover three recently stolen vehicles and make as many arrests in those cases.

In a statement, Anchorage police said the first vehicle recovered was a Honda CRV, which was spotted by K9 Officers Brandon Otts and Christopher Vierra around 11:45 p.m. on Jan. 30. The officers found the vehicle parked along the 4400 block of Spenard Road and saw the driver walk into the lobby of a nearby hotel. Otts and Vierra confronted him inside and the man gave them a false name. He was arrested and booked under the name of “John Doe” until he was identified as 36-year-old Anwar Wheeler.

Wheeler faces charges of first-degree vehicle theft and giving a false report. He is also being held on a no bail parole warrant for assault, robbery and misconduct involving weapons, according to police.

About half an hour later, K9 Officer Lars Tulip and Officers Darwin Hendricks and Heidi Schaeffer were called to a car wash on the 1000 block of West Dimond Boulevard after a man reported seeing his friend’s stolen vehicle “being spray painted in the carwash,” according to police.

The owner of the vehicle, Loth Sayavong, said the friend who spotted the car “thought it was funny” that someone would spray paint a car, and took to social media to see if anyone was missing an Acura. Another friend saw his post and alerted him to the fact that Sayavong’s vehicle had been stolen.

The suspect drove away but police later caught up with him on the Old Seward Highway near Dowling Road.

After boxing him in, the officers arrest 25-year-old Damian Mowery and charged him with vehicle theft and criminal mischief. He also had an outstanding warrant for unlawful evasion. He is being held at the Anchorage Correctional Complex without bail.

Just after 3 a.m., another K9 officer, Officer Scott Huston, saw a Pontiac Grand Am, reported stolen, driving west on Fifth Avenue near Airport Heights, according to police. Officer Huston “positioned himself in front of the vehicle while several other officers assist[ed] with blocking the car in,” police explained in a statement. While officers were trying to box him in, the driver rammed one of the police vehicles. Police were able to finally subdue and arrest him near the intersection with Juneau Street.

Police identified the driver as 34-year-old Norman Seton and charged him with vehicle theft, driving with a suspended license and failure to stop at the direction of a police officer. He was jailed at the Anchorage Correctional Complex under a bail of $7,500 cash corporate with an additional $1,000 performance bond.

Police said none of the officers involved in the chase was injured.

While several vehicles reported stolen recently were warming up with the key in the ignition, only one of the vehicles recovered by police during the night shift was left with a key inside. The owners of the other two vehicles reported locking the doors and taking the key with them.

Brayden Heath

GoFundMe.com

Last updated at 3:29 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2

The mother of a 3-year-old who shot himself with a loaded gun he found in his home faces charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection with his death.

Brayden Heath’s mother, 22-year-old Elizabeth Morin, was charged on Jan. 28, and served a summons to appear in court on Feb. 4.

Brayden died on Aug. 5. Police were called to his home on the 4000 block of Olympic Terrace Circle just after noon when they received a report of a shooting. He was pronounced dead at 12:27 p.m.

Police said Brayden was not alone with the incident occurred — three other adults were in the home with him.

Early Tuesday morning, Anchorage police and personnel from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson caught up with a stolen vehicle and suspects inside. Three people were arrested, while another woman was released after it was determined she was not a suspect.

Just after 2 a.m., police spotted a 2005 white Chevrolet pickup truck on Turpin Road that had been reported stolen. Officers attempted to pull the vehicle over, but were unsuccessful. The stolen truck rammed into a police vehicle and took off, heading on to the Glenn Highway.

A short while later, another officer saw the truck heading up Arctic Valley Road, according to police. Other officers responded to the area and later found the vehicle 100 yards off the road near Ship Creek, crashed into some trees. A woman was left inside, suffering from minor injuries caused by the crash. Police took her into custody, but later released her and took her to a nearby hospital for treatment of her injuries. Police notified the base of the crash, as the vehicle had stopped on military property.

Another woman, 24-year-old Helen Them, was located several yards away and taken into custody on an unrelated warrant.

JBER law enforcement and Anchorage K9 units assisted in a search of the area, leading to the discovery of a man on a “hill with steep terrain and hazardous conditions,” according to police. JBER medics staged a rescue of the man, 34-year-old Anthony Rezendes. He appeared to be suffering from a head injury and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police said he had an extraditable warrant from Wisconsin for violating probation.

Police learned the driver of the stolen vehicle was still at large, so they continued their search. Around 3:45 a.m., they were notified an alarm had gone off at a power plant near the Arctic Valley dam. When police arrived, they found a broken window. They searched the building floor by floor and found the suspect, 30-year-old Joseph Graffius, hiding in the basement.

He was arrested and charged with first-degree vehicle theft, second-degree assault, resisting arrest, fourth-degree criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, failure to stop at the direction of an officer and leaving the scene of an accident. He was taken to the Anchorage Correctional Complex and held on a bail of $10,000 cash corporate with an additional $2,500 performance bond.

None of the officers involved in the pursuit of the truck was injured.

A former Alaska Board of Fisheries nominee has pleaded not guilty to 17 felony and misdemeanor charges that he fraudulently obtained commercial fishing permits and Alaska Permanent Fund dividend payments.

Roland Maw entered his plea Tuesday in court in Juneau to the 17 counts covering theft and unsworn falsification. Maw was charged on Jan. 13 with illegally collecting more than $7200 in dividends between 2009-2014.

His lawyer, Nicholas Polasky, said his client declined to comment after the hearing.

Gov. Bill Walker appointed Maw, a Cook Inlet commercial fishermen, in January 2015.

He withdrew his name from consideration suddenly last February and faced criminal charges that he illegally obtained resident hunting and fishing licenses in Montana.

He pleaded no-contest to the charges, paid more than $7,200 in fines and lost his privileges to hunt and fish in Montana and all of the Wildlife Violator Compact States, including Alaska.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.