Courtesy Anchorage Police Department

John Thain / KTVA

Anchorage police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Anchorage Field Office are investigating the armed robbery of a Wells Fargo bank around 10:15 a.m. Thursday.

Two men, one with a shotgun and one with a hand gun, entered the Wells Fargo at 630 E. Fifth Ave. demanding money from the tellers, then ran from the bank with an unknown amount of cash, according to an FBI release.

Courtesy FBI Anchorage

The men were described by the Anchorage Police Department as tall, thin black males wearing sunglasses. One man wore dark pants and a red sweatshirt with the word “great” on it and is about six-foot four, according to police. The second suspect was described as six-foot two and had on a grey sweatshirt, dark pants and red shoes.

If you have information, police ask that you call Crime Stoppers at 907-561-7867 or the Anchorage FBI office at 907-276-4441.

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

Courtesy of the Anchorage Police Department

Last updated at 9:48 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15

ANCHORAGE — Police are asking the public for help finding a man accused of sexual assault at a home in the Anchorage area of Northwood Elementary and the Spenard Recreation Center.

According to a release from the Anchorage Police Department (APD), the assault took place at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7. The man knocked on the front door of the home and asked the victim if the homeowner was there and when they would return.

“This appears to be a random situation, the victim not knowing the suspect in any kind of way and not knowing why the suspect particularly targeted this residence and this victim,” APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro said.

A sketch of the unidentified man was sent out Friday by police. APD described the man as a “light skinned African-American, about 5’10”, slight athletic build, in his late teens or early twenties,” adding that his hair is said to be longer on top than the sides and he may have some facial hair. The release states the man was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

APD did not specify when the assault was reported, but neighbors said they saw a heavy police presence in the area roughly two weeks ago. One man who has lived in the neighborhood his whole life said criminal activity is rare.

“Just random robberies and stuff like that. No sexual assaults. Nothing like that,” said Joseph Taylor.

Police did not give details as to why it took 12 days to let the public know about the assault.

“It takes time to put together this information, to gather the information as well as verify the information. So today was the day where we had all those pieces together,” said Castro.

Several people who live in the neighborhood said they were disappointed in the delay.

“When something happens in the neighborhood, I think people should know,” said Quintin Hunicke. “Bring it out in the open. Let people know. People have the right to know.”

One woman said she regularly tells her kids to not answer the door, but wishes she could have reminded them after the assault.

“If there’s a man on the loose that’s a sex offender, that’s really scary,” said Crisalyn Ruiz.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 907-786-8900 and ask to be connected with detectives in the Special Victims Unit. If anyone has had a man matching the description above try to knock on their door, police would like those people to contact them as soon as possible.

Anchorage police encourages residents to never open the door for anyone they are not expecting or do not know. Police stated that if a stranger comes to the door asking for help, contact police and report the information.

Courtesy of the Anchorage Police Department

The Anchorage Police Department (APD) is looking for a man accused of stabbing a female Thursday at a homeless camp.

According to APD, at 7:30 p.m. police were notified of a stabbing in a wooded area near 19 Avenue and C Street.

“It was reported to police that three people were together at a homeless camp when an argument broke out in the group,” police wrote in a release.

Nineteen-year-old Johnathan Anaruk then began taking personal items of another male in the camp. The male and a female began to confront Anaruk, but Anaruk cut the female with a knife and assaulted her, APD said.

Anaruk fled the camp on foot.

Emergency responders took the female to a local hospital, where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Anaruk faces assault and theft charges. Police have issued a warrant for his arrest, but have been unable to locate him.

Anaruk is described as 6 feet 2 inches tall and 155 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Police described the man as “homeless” and often seen in the Gambell, Fireweed and Midtown Anchorage areas.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is being asked to call Anchorage police at 907-786-8900.

Adam Spindler, a former correctional officer at the Goose Creek Correctional Center (GCCC), signed a plea deal on Aug. 15 agreeing to plead guilty to charges related to smuggling drugs in to inmates.

Spindler was arrested on May 23 after an investigation headed by the FBI. Department of Corrections officials had contacted the FBI because they suspected Spindler was bringing drugs into GCCC.

As part of their investigation, FBI agents watched Spindler, who at one point was seen with a suspected female drug courier shortly before going to work, charging documents show. When Spindler arrived at GCCC that day, he saw a K-9 unit and gave a bag containing heroin and marijuana to a fellow correctional officer leaving GCCC property, telling them it contained only personal use marijuana. The correctional officer later turned the bag in after finding out about the investigation into Spindler and discovering more than marijuana in the bag.

In his plea agreement, Spindler admitted to meeting with inmates’ drug associates and making deals with them in order to get drugs he would then smuggle into the prison via his personal belongings. While charging documents and his plea agreement did not specify how many inmates he did this for, investigators noted he met with several different inmates’ drug associates and that he began working for the DOC in April 2013.

Spindler will plead guilty to a single count each of drug conspiracy and possession of drugs with intent to distribute, both of which are felonies. He will serve a minimum of three years for each charge and faces up to 20 years in prison for each, as well as a fine of up to $100,000 for each charge. He has also agreed to forfeit his vehicle, which was seized during the investigation.

Online court records show his plea hearing has been scheduled for Monday morning before Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess in Anchorage.

Police, school employees, security consultants and others say threats to schools are increasing nationwide.

They come both from local students and outsiders seeking to cause disruptions or a big emergency response.

One researcher estimates there were about eight bomb threats per school day nationwide during the 2015-16 school year, and that doesn’t include other threats of violence or disruption.

Ohio is believed to be among the states with the most threats. The Associated Press tallied more than 170 there in the 2015-16 school year.

Learning time lost to evacuations and cancellations adds up, as do the hours police spend responding and investigating.

Less measurable are the ways threats can dent staff and students’ sense of security even when they’re false alarms, as they almost always are.

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

Two teenagers are in custody after allegedly robbing a man and his juvenile brother near the Bragaw Street KFC early Sunday morning.

The man and his brother called 911 from a Holiday gas station on Bragaw Street shortly before 2 a.m., alerting the Anchorage Police Department to the incident, APD spokeswoman Renee Oistad said in a statement.

Oistad explained the man and his brother were on the sidewalk near KFC when the two suspects approached and one of them pointed a gun at the man’s chest. The gunman demanded the man’s wallet and the two began to struggle over the gun. The other suspect grabbed the man’s wallet from his sweatshirt pocket but lost his grip on it and flung it away, Oistad wrote, adding that officers later found it in the woods near where the robbery occurred.

The gunman struck the man in the face with the gun and then both suspects fled on foot.

The man declined medical treatment for his injuries, and his brother was uninjured during the altercation, Oistad said.

Shortly after the victims called 911, police officers saw the two suspects walking on Bragaw Street near Fourth Avenue. The suspects took off running when police ordered them to stop, but Oistad said the suspect who’d earlier had the gun was caught “pretty quickly.”

K-9 Handler Officer Brandon Otts and K-9 Midas. Photo: Anchorage Police Department

The other suspect continued to run toward the pedestrian tunnel near the Glenn Highway, Oistad said, at which point a K-9 officer arrived and told him to stop or the dog would be released. Oistad said when the suspect did not stop, K-9 Midas was released and knocked him down. Police took him into custody and drove him to a hospital for treatment of a dog bite to his left leg, Oistad wrote.

She said both suspects are 17 years old and have so far been charged as juveniles. The suspect who allegedly had the gun, which was not recovered, faces charges of second-degree robbery and fourth-degree assault. The second suspect, who K-9 Midas helped bring into custody, was charged with second-degree robbery, third- and fourth-degree assault, and resisting arrest.

Both suspects are in custody at the McLaughlin Youth Center in Anchorage, according to Oistad.

The Anchorage Police Department says they are looking for two suspects believed to be involved in a kidnapping that occurred on Aug. 14. A third suspect, 19-year-old Jean Vagao, is in custody.

Police were first notified of the kidnapping at 9:52 p.m. when a woman called them to report a vehicle with her friend still inside had been stolen at gunpoint near Second Avenue and Bunn Street, APD spokeswoman Renee Oistad said in a statement Sunday. The woman said she was in the driver’s seat when a man, later identified as 18-year-old William Burgess, walked up to her with a gun and ordered her out of the vehicle. Oistad said the victim’s friend was still in the front passenger seat when he drove off.

At 11:41 p.m., a passerby called police to say they had found the second victim on Eklutna Lake Road, Oistad said. The victim told police Burgess drove her to another vehicle that held Vagao and 24-year-old Serge Azede II. In the second vehicle, the victim was allegedly zip-tied and assaulted by the three suspects before she was left in the woods in an area near Eklutna Lake.

Oistad said the victim was able to break free of the zip ties on her ankles and eventually made her way to Eklutna Lake Road, where she was later found.

“Police believe this was a targeted event,” Oistad wrote in the statement. “The victim and Burgess knew one another beforehand.”

No information about this incident was issued to the public until after KTVA requested information about kidnapping and assault charges against Vagao on Sunday. In an email response to KTVA, Oistad said the incident did not appear to be a public safety concern.

“We knew right away this was a targeted event and we did not have a public safety concern,” she said in the email. “It took four days for us to search through all the details and determine exactly what happened, and then to gather the evidence required to support the charges we brought forth — four days is the time between the initial report and the time we obtained the warrants [on Thursday]. We were then hoping to scoop up all three suspects this weekend before it went public. We were looking for them but it looks like at least one has made his way to Fairbanks.”

Oistad said APD has charged Vagao with kidnapping and second-degree assault, Azede with kidnapping and Burgess with kidnapping, second- and third-degree assault and second-degree sexual assault.

Police arrested Vagao and booked him at the Anchorage Correctional Complex, where he is currently being held. He was arraigned Saturday afternoon.

Police are now asking for the public’s help in locating Burgess and Azede. Burgess is believed to be in the Fairbanks area, Oistad said. He is 6 feet tall and weighs around 180 pounds. Azede is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 190 pounds, she said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Azede or Burgess is asked to call APD at 907-786-8900 or Crime Stoppers at 907-561-7867.

Cody Tibbe

Anchorage Police Department

A man charged with domestic violence in front of a child escaped from the Cordova Center Monday, according to the Anchorage Police Department. APD has obtained a $5,000 warrant for his arrest.

Cody Tibbe left the Cordova Center around 8:15 a.m., APD said in a statement. He was being held under charges of assault, family violence and resisting arrest.

Tibbe has previous convictions of assault and violating protective orders, online court records show.

Tibbe is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs approximately 170 pounds and has brown hair and eyes.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call APD at 907-786-8900.

A 25-year-old Anchorage man already wanted on an outstanding warrant faces additional charges after he rammed three police vehicles and three civilian vehicles while attempting to avoid arrest Monday evening.

An off-duty Anchorage police officer spotted Trevon Allridge at the A Street Walmart at 5:47 p.m., according to police spokeswoman Renee Oistad. She said the officer knew Allridge had a warrant for his arrest for the charges of discharge of a firearm and reckless endangerment, so they called police dispatch.

On-duty officers arrived and tried to keep Allridge, who was in his vehicle when they arrived, in the parking lot by blocking him in with their vehicles.

“Allridge began ramming the police cars and made his way out, hitting a civilian car in the process,” Oistad wrote. She said in a separate email that she wasn’t sure if that vehicle was occupied when Allridge hit it.

Allridge left the parking lot and drove to the area of 32nd Avenue and A Street, where Oistad said he got stuck. Police tried twice more to block him in as he made his way away from Walmart. He hit another civilian vehicle that was occupied and began going the wrong way down C Street, Oistad wrote. Police decided to stop following him briefly because of traffic, she said.

“However, just moments later, officers re-engaged when Allridge hit a third civilian vehicle, making officers concerned for public safety,” she wrote.

Allridge was finally stopped and taken into custody, at which point police found a gun in his vehicle.

Oistad said Allridge faces new charges in connection to the chase and collisions, including several counts of assault and criminal mischief No one reported any injuries.

“There was a female passenger in the car with Allridge who was uninjured and not charged with any crime in association with this incident,” Oistad noted.

C Street was briefly closed while police investigated the collision involving civilian vehicles, but all lanes have since reopened, Oistad confirmed.

Anchorage police responded quickly to a woman’s call for help during a home invasion, reaching her house while two suspects were allegedly still inside.

The woman called 911 at 5:11 p.m., stating she was hiding upstairs in her home because she heard someone break in through her glass back door. She said “she could still hear that they were inside on the first floor,” a statement from police explained.

The home is on the 6200 block of Ophir Drive, and when police arrived, two men ran from the home, police wrote.

Police arrested 23-year-old Suna Alavez Jr at the scene, the statement said. The second suspect, 21-year-old Elijah Tuimoloau, ran away but was caught at 5:27 p.m. in a nearby trailer park.

Police booked both men at the Anchorage Correctional Complex under charges of burglary and criminal mischief.

The woman was not hurt during the incident, police said.

When the third and likely final suspect in a kidnapping and assault case was arraigned Tuesday afternoon, the charging documents against him and other suspects were unsealed and made public. Within the pages, the victim says her alleged kidnappers have gang affiliations and may be involved in recent Anchorage homicides.

Serge Azede in court Tuesday

Serge Azede II, 24, turned himself in to police Monday and was arraigned in Anchorage Tuesday for a charge of kidnapping. Jean Vagao, 19, and William Burgess, 18, have already been arraigned on similar charges, including assault and sexual assault. All three are accused of kidnapping a 15-year-old girl on Aug. 14 and driving her out to the woods by Eklutna Lake, leaving her there with her hands and ankles bound with zip ties.

The victim was able to cut the zip ties around her ankle with a rock and climb a hill back to Eklutna Lake Road, where a man found her and helped untie her. The man’s brother called 911. When police responded, she told them her ex-boyfriend, Burgess, had forced her friend at gunpoint out of a vehicle they were in and drove off with the victim still inside. When she reached for her phone to call police, she said Burgess hit her in the head with a gun.

They met up with Azede and Vagao, and Burgess forced her into another vehicle. She said Azede tied her hands with zip ties. At one point during the drive, she called Azede a “Slob,” which she described to police as a term used for the gang known as the Bloods.

“[The victim] said that made him mad because he is actually a Crip, and she said that is when he cut the right side of her neck with a black handled pocket knife,” Anchorage police Det. John Foraker wrote in his affidavit.

That isn’t the only time gang activity is mentioned in the court documents. The victim said Azede questioned her about members of the “Fight Squad,” Foraker said.

“[The victim] said she hangs out with people that these guys want to kill,” he wrote. “[She] said they were asking her to tell them where members of the “Fight Squad” lived, but she refused, because she didn’t want them to go after and kill her friends.”

In an interview with police, the victim said she was staying with Burgess at a home in Fairbanks a few weeks before the alleged kidnapping but left “to return to Anchorage because her friends were getting killed back in Anchorage,” Foraker wrote. The detective noted that she mentioned recent homicide victims Xeryus “Iggy” Tate, Chaduer Chuol and Elijah Zeller.

“[Azede] told her they were the ones who killed them, and that they were going to kill the rest of them too,” he said.
“[She] said they were going to keep killing members of the Fight Squad until there were no more left.”

The Fight Squad is not listed by the FBI as a known gang in Alaska, but at least one crime involving the alleged group has been reported to the Anchorage Police Department. APD has stated on multiple occasions that they do not believe the recent homicides in Anchorage are connected or related to gang activity.

“We have charged individuals with crimes that we can prove with evidence we’ve gathered,” APD spokeswoman Renee Oistad said in an email response to questions about possible gang connections in all the cases. “This investigation is still ongoing.  Should we gather more evidence that supports criminal charges against others, we will bring forth charges at that time.”

Oistad explained the information given by the victim has yet to be proved, and could not say if the crimes are indeed connected. She said they do not have any gang-related information to release at this time.

KTVA 11′s Daniella Rivera and Shannon Riddle contributed to this report. 

The victim of a recent kidnapping has claimed that her abductors have gang affiliations and may even have been involved in a handful of Anchorage homicides this summer. The Anchorage Police Department has stated they have not been able to prove any of the homicides are connected or are related to gang activity.

Retired APD officer Scott Lofthouse explained some of the difficulties the department faces in investigating possible gangs in Alaska. He worked in the gang intelligence unit until it closed down in April 2014 due to loss of funding.

“One of the problems with the gangs in Anchorage, because they’re racially diverse, it’s very difficult to identify exactly who is in a gang, unless somebody tells you,” he said.

He noted that in the Lower 48, gangs tend to stick to specific racial groups and can be identified by a particular color and gang sign. Here, he said, gangs can use more than one color so long as there’s something identifying them as members of a gang, like a symbol or phrase or even the gang’s name.

Lofthouse also said Alaska statutes outline what defines a gang, and that it takes time to validate one, much less identify members. He said under state law, at least three people have to be in a group and commit at least two felonies as a group during a three-year period before they can be classified as a gang.

“We think that felony crimes are the most serious, and they are, but a lot of the gangs never breach that threshold, and so I had a bunch of gangs that I was never able to validate so I never got to follow any crimes on them. All they did was misdemeanors,” he explained. “You can’t validate a gang member until you validate a gang; it’s like a chicken or egg thing.”

He said he first started hearing about the group known as Fight Squad — mentioned in charging documents against the three kidnapping suspects — around the end of 2013 or early 2014, before the unit was shut down.

“But I didn’t have a chance to really get in-depth into investigating them and identifying the members and validating the gang,” he added.

He said the kidnapping victim’s accusations that one group was targeting members of another group could be classified as gang activity, even though neither group is validated as a gang.

“I think gang intel is important in being able to understand the motivations behind the crimes, you know, the motive of the crime, but I don’t know as it really helps in the prosecution,” he said, noting that gang information can be more useful in preventing crime, rather than reacting to it when it’s already happened. “There’s always indicators of things that are going to occur, and that I think is the one thing gang intel will help is to proactively stop and mitigate the amount of crime.”

When asked how gang activity could affect the general public, he said 90 percent of Alaskans would be safe. He admitted there have been a few cases where people in the wrong place at the wrong time or who looked like a person being targeted by a group were hurt.

“But as long as you’re not doing activities that they’re doing, associating with them, hanging out where they hang out during the days and times that they’re doing things, you have very little likelihood of being involved in any kind of gang activity or gang crimes,” he said.

KTVA 11′s Daniella Rivera and Shannon Riddle contributed to this report.

Kuach C. Kuach at his arraignment Wednesday

Charging documents released at the arraignment of 19-year-old Kuach C. Kuach Wednesday revealed new details about a crash he was involved in that claimed the life of another man.

In the early morning hours of Aug. 5, police responded to a two-vehicle collision on Fifth Avenue. Kuach, who’d suffered a gunshot wound, was found at the scene, as was 19-year-old Chaduer Chuol, who police said was ejected from a Honda sedan during the collision. He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

The driver of the other vehicle, a truck, did not require medical attention and was not connected to Kuach and Chuol, police said.

What set the crash apart from others were the multiple bullet holes in the Honda, which police said in charging documents was also split in half due to the force of the collision. Kuach initially told police he didn’t know what had happened because he was drunk and had taken Xanax, according to an affidavit by Det. Ross Henikman. Henikman stated Chuol appeared to be the driver in this case.

While Kuach denied firing a gun before the crash, an AK-47 type rifle, a Glock 10mm pistol and a revolver were found at the scene, along with multiple rounds of ammunition. Spent shell casings were found in the back seat of the Honda.

“Multiple rounds were fired from the interior of the Honda, towards the rear of the vehicle outward, suggesting that the occupants were firing at a target behind the Honda,” Henikman wrote.

Surveillance video retrieved from the area of the crash showed a dark colored pickup truck that appeared to be chasing the Honda at high speeds just before the crash, Henikman noted in his statement.

While the investigation into the crash and the shooting is still ongoing, Kuach has been charged with manslaughter for Chuol’s death.

Police have not publicly identified any suspects in the pickup truck, or announced any additional charges in the case.

The Bethel Police Department officer charged with assaulting a man in 2014 was sentenced to four months in prison. Andrew Reid pleaded guilty to assault and official misconduct Thursday. Officials spoke about the case in Anchorage Wednesday.

“When the very people entrusted with protecting Alaskans abuse their positions and assault our citizens, it is a breach of trust that must be punished,” said Jahna Lindemuth, the Attorney General of Alaska.

Surveillance video provided by radio station KYUK shows Reid throwing Wassillie Gregory to the ground in 2014. Gregory was intoxicated and originally pled guilty to harassing an officer before the video spread.

The special agent in charge of the Anchorage FBI office described uncovering public corruption as “a number one priority.” Marlin Ritzman said their investigation was thorough, hence Reid being sentenced roughly two years after the incident.

“The vast majority of law enforcement officers out there are good people doing a very, very difficult job,” said Ritzman. “It is the anomaly when something rises to this level that someone is actually charged for going beyond what the law permits.”

The Alaska Department of Law expressed a similar sentiment.

“In the same way that you can have a barrel of apples, sometimes there are bad ones. And where those bad ones are found, they will be removed,” said John Skidmore, the director of the department’s criminal division.

Reid, who now lives in the Lower 48, will lose his police certificate.

Gregory was awarded $175,000 from the City of Bethel after a separate lawsuit last year.

KTVA 11′s Eric Ruble can be reached via email or on Facebook and Twitter.

This story originated from KYUK Public Media and was republished with permission.

BETHEL — The heroin seized in Quinhagak that was responsible for three overdoses and one death was found to contain large amounts of fentanyl. State tests showed that there was more fentanyl than heroin in the samples tested from the village. Troopers say this is the first time such large amounts of fentanyl have surfaced in a sample at the crime lab.

The people who overdosed in Quinhagak recently may have thought they were taking heroin, but they were using something much more potent. Fentanyl is a synthetic drug ten to twenty times stronger than heroin. Charles Foster is a Scientific Director with the state crime lab.

“Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that’s quite a bit stronger than morphine and heroin. Heroin is about four to five times more potent than morphine, whereas fentanyl is 50-100 times more potent,” said Foster.

Foster says fentanyl is a powerful painkiller commonly taken through skin patches for chronic pain management. Trooper spokesperson Megan Peters says fentanyl adds even more danger to the opioid epidemic sweeping rural Alaska.

“A heroin user, if they inject themselves with their ‘usual amount’ of heroin or what they think is what they normally take, and it has fentanyl in it when its unbeknownst to them, they really are at a greater risk for overdosing than if they were just consuming heroin,” said Peters.

Troopers say while this isn’t the first time fentanyl has been found mixed with heroin in the state, it is the first time it’s been found in large amounts. Last year the crime lab found it in a sample from Juneau, but Foster added that fentanyl is still relatively rare in Alaska.

The Drug Enforcement Agency issued a newsletter last March when reports surfaced of fentanyl being used illegally in the lower 48. Law enforcement officials are keeping watch for fake prescription pills that contain fentanyl instead of what is indicated on the label. Singer and songwriter Prince recently died due to an overdose from pills containing fentanyl.

Troopers are still investigating the three overdoses and one death in Quinhagak and would not release any further details.

This story originated from KYUK Public Media and was republished with permission.

BETHEL — Former Bethel police officer Andrew Reid has been sentenced by a Bethel judge to the maximum penalty allowed for the two crimes he pleaded guilty to: one count of first-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree official misconduct.

Reid will spend a maximum of 120 days in detention. Reid’s sentence would have carried a maximum of 180 days in detention, but was reduced under the recently passed Senate Bill 91.

Reid attended the hearing by teleconference. The victim, Wassillie Gregory, did not attend the hearing. His sister Agnes Gregory did and publicly forgave Reid for his actions.

After the proceedings were over, she spoke about the irreversible effects of the incident on her brother.

“What my brother went through during that time, I can’t imagine how he felt, and the injuries he suffered, and how everything that happened on that day will affect him for the rest of his life,” said Agnes Gregory.

Agnes Gregory said that Wassillie Gregory chose to drink rather than attend the sentencing.  After Reid responded to a 2014 call that Wassillie Gregory was intoxicated in public, he was caught on video repeatedly throwing Wassillie Gregory to the ground and then pepper spraying him. This resulted in a dislocated shoulder that eventually Wassillie Gregory needed surgery to correct.

Wassillie Gregory sued earlier in civil court and accepted a $175,000 settlement. His sister says he used the money to fuel his drinking problem.

“My brother has struggled a lot with alcoholism. He has issues from childhood. I don’t think money is important,” Agnes Gregory said.

When asked if the money hurt, Agnes Gregory said, “It didn’t help him,” referring to her brothers addiction.

After Agnes Gregory said she forgave him, Reid was given a chance to make a statement.

“I hope the these proceedings do heal any wounds that there are for Mr. Gregory and his family, and the City of Bethel. I’m 4,000 miles away right now, but I wish I could give Agnes a big hug and shake Mr. Gregory’s hand. And I appreciate her forgiveness in this matter. I take full responsibility for my actions. I wish I could have served Mr. Gregory better that day, and the city as a whole. And I’m willing to accept whatever the court puts on me,” Reid said.

Reid’s attorney says he plans to apply for electronic monitoring, meaning that Reid would serve his sentence from home.

Police investigate two homicides in Valley of the Moon Park

Jared Mazurek/KTVA

Police investigate two homicides in Valley of the Moon Park

Jared Mazurek/KTVA

Police investigate two homicides in Valley of the Moon Park

Jared Mazurek/KTVA

The Anchorage Police Department is investigating two homicides that were discovered early Sunday morning in Valley of the Moon Park.

Someone called police just before 2 a.m. to report they had found a body on the bike path in the park, according to a statement from APD spokeswoman Renee Oistad. When police arrived, they began investigating the scene and came across a second body. Both were males and appeared to be homicide victims, Oistad said.

Oistad noted the witness who initially called police stayed at the scene and spoke with them.

Sgt. Slawomir Markiewicz told KTVA police did not have an identification for either victim Sunday morning.

The manner of death for both victims is not being released at this time, Oistad said.

The park was closed during APD’s initial investigation. The park has since reopened after police finished collecting evidence and process the scene. Oistad said police would make sure the crime scene was completely cleaned up and ready for public use again before reopening the park.

Markiewicz said no reports of gunfire had been reported to police by residents nearby. Anyone with information about the deaths or who may have seen something suspicious in the area is asked to call police at 907-786-8900.

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

Arnold Romero

Courtesy Anchorage Police Department

The Glenwood Center

Courtesy Google Maps

A man convicted on a drug charge has been missing from a halfway house since Friday, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

Online court records show 44-year-old Arnold Romero was convicted in 2014 of manufacturing and delivering controlled substances and was serving at least part of his sentence at the Glenwood Center on D Street. He left at 7:05 a.m. Friday, police said in a statement. He never arrived at work and has not returned to the Glenwood Center.

Romero is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs roughly 250 pounds.

Police have a felony escape warrant for Romero’s arrest. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call APD at 907-786-8900.

Harborview Elementary School in Juneau

Harborview Elementary School/Facebook

Juneau police are investigating a theft of four carved Tlingit shields that hung in the entryway of an elementary school.

Harborview Elementary School Principal Tom McKenna told the Juneau Empire that the area was a gathering place for families and a place where students were photographed in honor of their achievements.

The shields were taken last week between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.

Anyone with information is asked to contact authorities.

It’s been eight years since Tlingit artist Benjamin Schleifman was commissioned by the Juneau School District Indian Studies Program to carve the shields.

He said the theft is heartbreaking.

Police official Erann Kalwara said the department estimates the shields are worth at least $1,000 apiece.

McKenna said the shields carry cultural and sentimental value in the community.

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

Last updated at 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28

A male on a bicycle has been riding around Anchorage pepper-spraying people, the Anchorage Police Department said Sunday.

Police stated they started receiving calls just before 6 p.m. from at least four people saying they’d been pepper-sprayed by the bicyclist. The first reports came from people in Town Square Park and then near the Sullivan Area.

Police initially said the suspect was found by the Anchorage Fire Department just after 6 p.m., but later corrected their statement, as AFD had picked up one of the suspect’s victims instead. That victim was taken to the hospital for treatment.

“The suspect has been described as a white male riding a bicycle,” APD spokeswoman Renee Oistad said in a statement.

She said the suspect was seen wearing a black shirt with a gold emblem on it, blue jeans and bright red shoes. It’s believed he is carrying a black backpack and “possibly a camouflage backpack as well,” Oistad said.

Anyone who is a victim who has not yet called police or has information about the suspect is asked to call 907-786-8900.

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