Updated at 1:25 p.m. on Friday, July 22
The Anchorage Police Department is seeking information from the public following an overnight robbery at an Anchorage sporting goods store.
APD said in a Thursday release that officers responded to an alarm at Mountain View Sports on the Old Seward Highway at about 3:45 a.m. on July 21. When police arrived, they found the front door had been broken, along with glass display cases inside the store.
“The response was quick. The alarm worked. However, the thieves were faster,” store owner John Staser said in a phone interview Friday. ”This is an attack. This isn’t just a theft, this isn’t shoplifting, this is a calculated attack.”
Surveillance video posted to the store’s Facebook page shows two people entering the store. One of them breaks into a display case and runs off with a large bundle of goods. The two then apparently escaped in a white truck, according to the post.
The video was posted with the following note:
Mountain View Sports experienced a major theft of firearms last night around 3:30 am. We are offering a $1,000.00 reward for any information that leads to the prosecution of the two light-skinned young males. We are also seeking information on a late model, white extended cab short bed truck, which was caught on camera around the time of the theft in our parking lot. More pictures and a list of the stolen firearms will follow. Please share!
Staser said thieves made off with a large collection of mostly rare, high-end hand guns. The guns were secured together with a cable, but the cable was not properly secured to the store’s cabinet. A simple human error, according to Staser.
In operation since 1961, Staser said his small business has been the target of repeated robberies over the years.
“We used to have a break in at least once a year,” he said. “The only way to prevent this is to build a fortress around you.”
As a result, he installed large concrete blocks at the former Midtown location to prevent people from driving vehicles through the front door — a step that helped lessen the number of break-ins over the years.
Security upgrades at the new store location could cost between $10,000 to $20,000, according to Staser, but it’s a cost he says is necessary.
“We’re a small business fighting Cabella’s and Bass Pro. Under tremendous strain … just trying to make a living,” he said. “It’s tough to invest that kind of money in security, but we will do it.”
Until the security upgrades are complete, Staser said his staff will take extra measures to ensure the guns are locked up or moved to a secure location every night.
Mountain View Sports is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
The local office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working with APD on the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 786-8900 and reference case 16-30568 or file an anonymous tip with CrimeStoppers.
