Homer Alaska - News

"I'm a little bit perturbed," said Rocky Frank. "There's people concerned about what's happening here. We don't want it to continue. This isn't New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. We're Alaskans."

Last month, two Anchor Point men caught Chaunce Hoxie, 20, and a 15-year-old girl suspected in over 15 burglaries of cabins and homes. Hoxie and the girl had been wanted since mid-December when the girl ran off with Hoxie and troopers charged him with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In charging documents, troopers said Hoxie and the girl had broken into cabins and stole food, supplies, jewelry, guns and other items.

The men tracked the couple to a cabin near Troublesome Creek on the Anchor Point beach and surprised Hoxie and the girl while they were hunting for spruce grouse. The citizens handcuffed Hoxie and the girl with plastic zip ties and called troopers, who then arrested the couple.

Those citizens got a round of applause at the meeting. When one woman asked for a display of hands by people who thought the men did the right thing, a sea of arms rose up.

Hoxie has been charged with first-degree burglary and second-degree theft, but troopers expect many more charges to come.

Lin Whitmore chaired the meeting.

"We wanted to give the community a chance to express our concerns," Whitmore said of the meeting's purpose.

Capt. Peter Mylnarik, commander of E Detachment, Alaska State Troopers, and Lt. Dane Gilmore, deputy commander, attended the meeting. E Detachment is the trooper district that covers all of the Kenai Peninsula and Girdwood. Gilmore briefed the community on the progress of the case.

Troopers are processing several hundred items of evidence, including stolen property. At least 15 cases are under investigation. Stolen property is being digitally photographed and an album put together so victims can identify missing property.

"Each case has to be dealt with individually and separately," Gilmore said. "It's extremely labor intensive and technical."

Although Hoxie has been charged with one burglary, Gilmore said many more charges will be coming. As troopers complete their investigation, charges will go to the Kenai District Attorney.

"We have not filed the majority of charges at this point," he said. "My expectation is that in this case it will be two to three months before the DA will be filing."

Because Anchor Point has many vacation cabins owned by people living outside the area, Gilmore said he expects more break-ins will be discovered as people return to their cabins this summer.

Gilmore warned the Anchor Point community that the people involved could be back in town either on release as they await trial or after serving jail time if convicted.

"You may very well see people in this community on conditions of release. That may be shocking to people," he said. "We have to keep in mind who we're talking about: People from this community who you know and who will remain in this community."

Hoxie is currently being held at Wildwood Pretrial Facility in Kenai. After her arrest, troopers said the girl was placed in custody at Kenai Juvenile Justice. Because of her age, exact details about her case are confidential.

A defendant convicted of burglary probably wouldn't get significant jail time, Gilmore said.

If Hoxie is convicted, he would probably be ordered to pay restitution. That's something to think about, Gilmore said: How can a convicted felon get work to pay back his victims?

"We're going to get these guys back in our community," Whitmore said. "Maybe we can bring them back and give them a job."

"They're lucky they're even alive," one man said at the meeting in response to Whitmore's comment. "What if they're too lazy to work?"

"Put him to work," one man said. "I'll put him to work."

When asked when and how a citizen could make an arrest, Gilmore said he couldn't comment, since that would be giving legal advice and he's not a lawyer.

"A citizen's arrest is valid if they have probable cause," Gilmore did say. He also noted that citizens making arrests fall under the same standards as law enforcement — and face the same risks. As a caution, Gilmore noted that in his duties as a trooper he has been investigated by the FBI and sued in civil court.

Much of the meeting was taken up by an issue raised by the burglaries: Why didn't troopers catch the suspects sooner? Why are troopers sometimes slow to respond to reports of crimes?

"The short answer is resources," Gilmore said. "There are very limited law enforcement resources for the area."

The Anchor Point Post has six troopers — including a K-9 trooper dog — and a court services officer position to be filled soon. Two Alaska Wildlife Troopers also work on the lower Kenai Peninsula and can assist troopers if needed. That's more than posts elsewhere on the Kenai, Gilmore said. There are not enough troopers to provide 24-hour coverage. Anchor Point would need at least 12 troopers to have full-time trooper response.

"This escalated because of the lack of resources," one woman said. "What the hell are you going to do tomorrow when the next idiot decides to do it?"

Several people criticized the troopers for their slow response in general, saying it takes 30 minutes or longer for troopers to respond to some calls. One woman said when she reported a domestic-violence assault involving children, however, troopers were there within minutes. Gilmore said any incident that's a threat to life gets the highest priority.

As the evening went on, discussion turned to how to protect Anchor Point. People suggested ideas like a neighborhood watch or contacting legislators to get more trooper funding.

"Maybe it's time to think about incorporating," one woman said.

Watching out for your neighbors also is a good idea, said Whiskey Gulch resident Robin Lipinski.

"This is what a community can do now: We know our neighbors," he said. "It's just good to get to know your neighbors."

North Fork resident Ken Bergman echoed Lipinski's comment.

"Let's come together as a community," he said. "Let's get to know each other as a community."

Gilmore said if anyone has more information about the burglaries, he asked them to call the troopers at 235-8239. As the cases go to trial and if defendants are convicted, victims also can get involved in sentencing.

Through a process called allocution, victims can write letters to go with a pre-sentencing report and ask to speak at the sentencing.

Despite the criticism of the troopers, at the end of the meeting, one man thanked them and his comment got a round of applause.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong.@homernews.com.