Two Palmer men are in custody in connection with a burglary that occurred at an Alaskan fish hatchery last month.
On Nov. 8, Alaska State Troopers were notified that $30,000 worth of steel, aluminum and copper had been stolen from the Eklutna Tailrace fish hatchery. The suspects also caused approximately $30,000 worth of damage by “cutting through walls to access copper wire and other locked portions of the building,” according to an online AST dispatch posted Friday.
According to the Department of Fish and Game, the Eklutna Tailrace is located about 35 miles northeast of Anchorage, near Mile 3.5 of the Old Glenn Highway.
On Friday, both Michael Scott and Corey Jenson were arrested in connection with the burglary and property damage incident. Further investigation revealed that Scott, 35, was also responsible for another burglary earlier this month where $2,000 of personal property was stolen from a vehicle in Glacier View, troopers say.
Jenson, 19, faces charges of first-degree theft, second-degree burglary, third-degree criminal mischief and tampering with physical evidence. He was taken to Mat-Su Pretrial where he is being held on $100,000 cash/corporate bail with a court-approved third-party custodian.
Scott faces charges of first- and second-degree theft, second-degree burglary, second-degree criminal trespass and tampering with physical evidence. He was also taken to Mat-Su Pretrial where he is being held on $30,000 cash-only bail with a with a court-approved third-party custodian.
“Several other participants have been identified,” troopers say.
The investigation is ongoing.