An employee of the Eagle River Wal-Mart was injured while attempting to stop an allegedly shoplifting group of teens from leaving the store Wednesday night.

Anchorage police responded to the Wal-Mart after receiving initial reports of an armed robbery. When they arrived, store employees told them a loss prevention specialist was shot in the face with a BB gun while trying to stop the teen suspects from leaving the store with unpaid merchandise, specifically, airsoft guns.

Police ascertained three suspects were involved and apprehended one of them. The others reportedly fled the scene. Police are still looking for the suspects.

The employee injured in the altercation was “OK,” according to police at the scene.

KTVA 11′s Daniella Rivera contributed to this report. This is a developing story, please check back for updates.

A car thief hoping to thwart authorities by listening to a police scanner wasn’t clever enough to avoid capture.

According to the Anchorage Police Department, an officer saw a Silver Chevy Malibu that had been reported stolen Jan. 19 driving north on Strawberry Road. Police responded and pulled the car over near the intersection of Minnesota Drive and Tudor Road.

The sole occupant and driver was identified by police as 21-year-old Joel Gould, who was arrested and found with methamphetamine.

APD said when officers initially pulled Gould over, the car was blocking a lane of traffic on Minnesota. After Gould’s arrest, an officer got in to move it off of the roadway when he heard APD’s scanner traffic being broadcast from the car speakers.

A cell phone was plugged into the speaker system and was broadcasting the police call that had alerted police to the stolen Chevy Malibu, slowed by the public scanner delay.

Gould was taken to the Anchorage Jail and charged with vehicle theft and misconduct involving a controlled substance.

The stolen vehicle was returned to the owner.

An estimated $35,000 in illegal drugs and at least 15 stolen guns have been seized by Alaska State Troopers serving a search warrant in Tok.

Troopers arrested 48-year-old Floyd J. Stuck, who was arraigned Thursday in Fairbanks on two felony gun charges, including being a felon in possession of a firearm, and three felony drug counts.

Troopers acting on a tip met with a person in Tok who claimed to have bought drugs at Stuck’s home.

After surveillance, troopers obtained a search warrant.

Troopers seized 32 firearms and say half were stolen. The seized 10 grams of methamphetamine, 49 grams of suspected heroin, 42 morphine tablets and seven prescription opiate tablets.

Tok is an Alaska Highway community of 1,200 about 200 miles southeast of Fairbanks.

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

ANCHORAGE — Elizabeth Morin, 22, faces two felony charges following the death of her 3-year-old son, Brayden Heath, who shot and killed himself at a south Anchorage home in August.

Morin was arraigned at the Nesbett Courthouse on Thursday for charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

Anchorage police are still investigating Brayden’s death. Since there is no public police report or official complaint, details on the case are sparse.

District Attorney Clint Campion says they believe Morin left a loaded gun unattended for a period of “days.” He said such actions “would rise to the level of being reckless or criminally negligent.”

Campion said the prosecution team understands the “sensitive” nature of the case.

“I recognize that this is a huge tragedy for her and her family. She lost her son. There’s nothing we can do in this criminal justice system that’s going to bring [him] back or make that right,” said Campion.

Morin does not yet have a defense attorney. The trial is scheduled to begin in May.

“All we’re interested in is making sure she has a fair trial,” said Campion. “Our allegations are just allegations. She’s innocent until proven guilty,” he added.

Campion wanted Morin post to bail, but the judge denied the request.

“To have her charged is shock enough,” said Richard Payne, a lawyer and friend of Morin. ”To require bail or possible incarceration due to inability to post bail would shock the conscience beyond what I believe this community would tolerate.”

Morin is not allowed to have a gun or leave the state of Alaska without the court’s permission.

A former Fairbanks chiropractor will be sentenced in May in a murder-for-hire case.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports Guy Christopher Mannino was found guilty by a federal jury Friday of three out of five counts.

Prosecutors say Mannino tried to hire his jailhouse friend Julius “J.T.” Chambers to kill a witness, an FBI agent and an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The witness would have testified Mannino tried to hire him in a separate murder-for-hire plot that was not carried out and did not result in charges. The testimony could have impacted Mannino’s sentencing for the illegal transfer and possession of weapons.

Jurors acquitted Mannino of trying to have his former attorney killed, as well as another ATF agent.

Defense attorney Scott Dattan said this was a case of jailhouse boasts taken seriously.

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

A former Healy Lake Tribe first chief and administrator will spend up to 90 days on house arrest as part of her sentence for embezzling more than $100,000 in federal and tribal funds.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Friday that JoAnn Polston has also been sentenced to three years of probation. She was ordered to pay the Bureau of Indian Affairs more than $4,500 and the Healy Lake Tribe nearly $103,000 in restitution.

Between 2009 and 2013, Polston transferred money into her own bank account, took per diem payments she was not entitled to, and paid herself more than her salary without backup documentation.

U.S. District Court Judge Ralph Beistline told Polston that her conduct put Native and rural communities in jeopardy.

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

The Kodiak Police Department is investigating a homicide that took place early Sunday morning.

KPD was called to the scene of a shooting in Saint Herman Harbor shortly before 1 a.m., according to a statement from police. Responding officers found a 28-year-old man “bleeding from several gunshot wounds,” police said.

The victim was taken to Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center and declared dead. His name will not be released until his next of kin can be notified.

Several witnesses were also at the scene, along with 28-year-old Matt Bowe. Bowe, who is from Washington, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, police reported.

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

A man has been arrested for robbing some Big Lake residents and then assaulting them, according to an online Alaska State Trooper dispatch.

Troopers responded to the couple’s Ronnie Court residence around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday to investigate a report of a disturbance.

Their investigation revealed 25-year-old Jeremiah DeSilva broke into the home, stole some items and then got into a fight with the owners.

Troopers arrest DeSilva and charged him with felony driving under the influence, first-degree burglary, fourth-degree misconduct involving a weapon, third-degree theft, two counts of fourth-degree assault and fourth degree criminal mischief.

DeSilva is being held at the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility under a bail of $27,500.

Jury selection has begun for the trial of a former University of Alaska Fairbanks hockey player accused of sexually assaulting a woman on campus.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that Nolan Youngmun is charged with two counts stemming from an April 5 incident in on-campus housing.

Charging documents say Youngmun and another male visited a woman at a campus apartment at 3 a.m. April 5.

Prosecutors say Youngmun entered the other woman’s room naked, woke her and sexually assaulted her despite requests to stop.

University of Alaska Fairbanks police later recorded a conversation between the woman and Youngmun in which he denied forcing the woman to do anything.

This is one of two sexual assault cases against Youngmun.

___

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

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

Police are searching for two suspects following a robbery Tuesday morning at an Anchorage Subway restaurant.

Just after 7 a.m. Tuesday two men wearing hooded sweatshirts and bandannas entered the sandwich shop on Jewel Lake Road near the intersection of Dimond Boulevard, according to Anchorage Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Castro.

Castro said one suspect appeared to have a gun and the suspects demanded cash from the employees. Details of the altercation have not been released.

The suspects left the shop and fled on foot. APD’s search of the area with a K-9 unit did not result in any arrests.

No injuries have been reported in connection to the robbery.

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

Mark Charlie Junior was arraigned on a murder charge in Bethel court

Photo by Ben Matheson / KYUK

This story originates from KYUK Public Media and was published with permission. 

BETHEL — A Bethel judge sentenced 28-year-old Mark Charlie Jr. of Bethel to serve 20 years for the murder of Leann Berlin, a 26-year-old originally from Kasigluk.

Berlin’s body was found in the BNC apartments and had been there for days after she died, Charlie later admitted to strangling her.

Charlie was originally charged with first-degree murder, but that charge was dropped as part of a plea deal. Instead, Charlie pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

Charlie appeared before Judge Dwayne McConnell at the Bethel Courthouse on Tuesday morning for sentencing.

Judge McConnell spoke before he imposed the sentence. He said the plea deal satisfied the minimal sentencing requirements. He also said the court found Charlie was a good candidate for rehabilitation given his lack of a criminal record prior to the killing.

Charlie’s full sentence was 50 years in prison, with 30 suspended, and 10 years of probation after his release.

McConnell added that Charlie could be released in 11 – 13 years for good behavior in prison.

He later added that Mrs. Berlin’s life could not be restored and that her family would miss her.

About 30 members from the Berlin and Charlie family attended the hearing.

When McConnell announced the verdict a family member of Leann Berlin swore and then abruptly left the courtroom.

A correctional officer working at the Anchorage Correctional Complex was assaulted by an inmate Tuesday, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Troopers were notified of the attack just before noon, an online dispatch explained. The Alaska Bureau of Investigation’s Major Crimes Unit was also notified.

The officer received minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and then released.

The inmate has only been identified as male, as charges against him have not yet been filed. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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

A 24-year-old man originally arrested on January 29 for attempting to rob a woman in a Sam’s Club parking lot was charged in connection with two additional robberies, according to a release from the Anchorage Police Department.

Original Arrest

On Jan. 29, Gaythel Graves, allegedly held a woman at gunpoint in an Anchorage Sam’s Club parking lot and stole her purse, dropping it as he attempted to escape, witnesses told police. He escaped in a vehicle driven by 19-year-old Ariana James.

Bystanders who saw the event take place followed Graves and James, giving police dispatchers updates along the way. The two were intercepted by police at 360 Boniface Parkway and arrested, according to the release.

Graves was charged with first-degree robbery and third-degree misconduct involving a weapon, while James was arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Additional Robberies

Following his arrest, police were able to gather enough evidence to link Graves with two additional Anchorage robberies.

Flo’s Pancake House in East Anchorage was robbed at gunpoint on Jan. 28 just before 4 p.m.

“A man walked into the restaurant, pointed a gun at an employee, stole money that was sitting on the counter and left,” according to police.

An employee told police they believed the suspected robber was in a relationship with a former employee, Ariana James.

At 2 a.m. the next day, the Denny’s restaurant at 2900 Denali St. was also robbed at gunpoint. According to police, the employee closed the register and “ran into the kitchen” after the suspect entered and demanded money.

“The man tried to grab both the cash register and computer, attempting to take them with him, but was unsuccessful and instead dropped them both on the floor,” the release from police states.

Graves was charged with two additional counts of first-degree robbery as a result of the investigation.

Alaska State Troopers are investigating a shooting on the Kenai Peninsula that left a man wounded.

Troopers at 4:20 a.m. Wednesday received a report of a man admitted to South Peninsula Hospital in Homer with gunshot wounds.

Investigators determined the man had been shot multiple times with a shotgun at a home in Anchor Point about 10 miles north of Homer.

Troopers describe the wounds as serious but not life-threatening.

Troopers took a 45-year-old Anchor Point man into custody. He’s being held on suspicion of felony assault.

Online court records Thursday did not indicate that charges had been filed.

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

An inmate at a prison in Kenai was transported to Anchorage after suffering life-threatening injuries in an assault.

Alaska State Troopers in Soldotna just before 4 p.m. Tuesday received a report of an assault involving two inmates at Wildwood Correctional Center.

One inmate was taken to Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna and then medically evacuated to Anchorage.

Troopers are investigating and have not released the names of the men.

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

A former host of a cable TV hunting show has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for his role in a poaching operation on a remote national preserve in Alaska.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday that footage of some of the illegal hunts was shown on Clark W. Dixon’s cable TV show “The Syndicate.” The Sportsman Channel suspended the show in September.

Dixon of Hazlehurst, Mississippi, pleaded guilty in November in the case that accused him of falsely claiming to be an Alaska resident to take advantage of the state’s hunting privileges.

Dixon was also ordered to pay a $75,000 fine and forfeit firearms, the small plane he used to transport the animals, and the animals themselves, which were kept as trophies.

Four others charged in the case pleaded guilty.

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

A Houston, Alaska, man has been arrested for taking part in a home eviction that Alaska State Troopers say turned violent.

Troopers took a report Saturday night of a stabbing at a home at Mile 53 Parks Highway and learned two men had tried to evict a family at the request of a third party.

The men were armed with guns and knives.

A 16-year-old was stabbed in the head multiple times. As other members of the family fled in a vehicle, one of the two men fired and struck the vehicle.

Troopers say the teen was transported to a hospital.

Troopers this week arrested 36-year-old Matthew Nelson on suspicion of felony assault.

He’s being held on $100,000 bail.

Troopers are trying to identify and find a second suspect.

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

Michael J. Kawaglia, 45, reached a deal with state prosecutors and pleaded guilty to second degree assault Wednesday. Kawaglia had originally been charged with a number of crimes, including attempted first degree murder, for a vicious assault against his mother in September 2014.

The unprovoked attack happened early morning at the woman’s Ekwok home. According to troopers, Kawaglia was heavily intoxicated.

The investigators’ written report portrays nothing short of torture that lasted for hours. Kawaglia beat his mother with a broken chair leg, cut her with a bread knife, and forced her to drink alcohol. At one point she was knocked unconscious, and woke in a pool of her own blood.

Before Kawaglia left the home, he cut the phone line, took her cell phone, and stole more than $100, said troopers.

The victim was hospitalized with lacerations, severe bruising, and a broken rib. Her eyes were swollen shut as a trooper took her statement.

As part of the plea deal, the prosecution dropped the attempted murder, robbery, and criminal mischief charges, and reduced the assault charge from first to second degree.

Judge Pat Douglass will determine Kawaglia’s sentence at an open hearing in July. He faces a presumptive range of one to three years in jail. The state will likely argue for more jail time, up to the maximum of ten years, based on the agreed upon aggravated nature of the crime.

Two teenagers were wounded during a shooting at a party on Spring Street early Sunday morning, according to Anchorage police.

Police were contacted at 2:45 a.m. about a 16-year-old shooting victim in the area of 64th Avenue and C Street. The 16-year-old was with a group of people and had a non-life threatening wound to the leg. After talking to the group, police learned the shooting had taken place at the Spring Street party.

Along the 8900 block of Spring Street, police found several vehicles with bullet holes. Witnesses told them an altercation had broken out and at least two people fired multiple shots.

At 3:47 a.m., a local hospital contacted police about an 18-year-old woman who arrived with a BB gun shot wound to the chest. The wound was non-life threatening and had been inflicted at the Spring Street party.

Police said they are still investigating the incident and have not made any arrests. Police spokeswoman Renee Oistad said it was unclear how many actual guns were used in the shooting, but said at least one gun and one BB gun had been identified as weapons involved.

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

In separate incidents, two men damaged property at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Anchorage early Sunday morning.

The first incident was reported just after 3 a.m., according to a statement from police. On the 11th floor, they found 27-year-old Mark Lembke, who “appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs,” police said.

Lembke had broken into a storage room and stolen several dishes and glasses, which he then began to break in the hallway, according to police spokeswoman Renee Oistad. He also opened two breaker panels and shut off power to part of the hotel.

Police arrested Lembke and charged him with third-degree criminal mischief. He was taken to the Anchorage Correctional Complex and held under a $1,000 cash corporate bond.

Police were also asked to investigate a disturbance on the 20th floor. A man there was taken into custody for breaking a door handle and transported to a nearby hospital, where he was admitted for psychiatric treatment.

“Due to the man’s behavior, it was clear he was suffering from a mental condition,” police said, a fact later confirmed by the man’s mother, who was also staying at the hotel.

The hotel declined to press charges against the second man.