How Anchorage police caught a ring of accused car thieves

Hours of surveillance movies, droplets of blood and footprints helped police and prosecutors office find those they believe were behind a string of high-profile car thefts and burglaries in Anchorage last spring. Among the crimes was a botched break-in that ended with suspects shooting at officers.

Four guys were arraigned on burglary, car theft, and brunt charges this week in connection to twelve different burglaries in Anchorage and Eagle Sea. Two women who allegedly helped run the criminal ring remained at large on Tuesday.

One of the business owners whose establishment was robbed said he’s glad the alleged thieves were caught but he suspects there are many more victims out there who are too afraid to come forward.

“They’re afraid of retaliation,” said Ron Alleva, possessor of Grubstake Auction, which was burglarized on March 20.

At a news conference before Monday’s arraignment, District Attorney Clint Campion told reporters that “we knew we needed a different approach” after Anchorage was plagued by a rash of vehicle thefts and break-ins over the winter and early spring. Car thefts spiked earlier this year to dual what they were during the same period the prior year, according to Anchorage police statistics.

Campion assigned Assistant District Attorney James Klugman to work closely with police and business owners affected by the crimes.

“The increase we were observing in the reports of vehicle thefts and burglaries by individuals eluding police in stolen vehicles, especially individuals assaulting and firing gunshots at police officers needed to be looked at closely, needed to be looked at specially, and needed to be looked at differently from how we treat individual cases,” Klugman said. “Treating these as discreet cases was not going to be acceptable.”

A key part of the investigation involved reviewing surveillance movie provided by businesses like Alleva’s. Prosecutors say the movie produced critical evidence introduced to a grand jury that on Thursday returned a 30-count indictment against six people: David Ekeroma Fatialofa, Usugasfono Palauni, Fale Junior Moevao, Faamolemole Uiese, Desiree Florentina Osburn and Joslyn Leilani Pagaduan.

While Osburn and Pagaduan remain at large, the four fellows had been previously arrested and charged with crimes including car theft, brunt and misconduct involving drugs.

Klugman said the investigation leading to the indictment uncovered a prolific crime ring that operated with a “level of coordination and a level of organization that we don’t necessarily see.”

One of the alleged ring members, Fatialofa, drew headlines in early May when police say he took them on an extended manhunt across Anchorage and shot at them as a Police Memorial Day event was unfolding nearby.

A ballist vest and a pistol

Police describe Fatialofa as a dangerous felon who they are glad is off the streets. Some of his alleged criminal activity began on May one when Fatialofa, 35, and an accomplice drove to Ship Creek in a stolen Mitshubishi and broke into a contractor’s shop, according to court papers. Fatialofa entered the building while his accomplice stood witness.

When the building’s holder approached Fatialofa’s car, Fatialofa emerged wearing a ballistic vest and showcased the man his pistol.

“He made sure I eyed it,” the possessor told KTUU.

The contractor does not want to be named because he’s fearful of retaliation. This case was not the very first time his shop had been burglarized.

The studs drove off and the building proprietor called police. By then it was too late. But police received a peak May four that the stolen Mitsubishi had been spotted in Midtown.

Officers attempted to block the car and arrest the driver but he narrowly shoved past them in the car and escaped. Police recognized the man behind the wheel as Fatialofa.

On May 6, uncover officers spotted him again, in a car in a Spenard alley near the Bear Tooth theater pub. Fatialofa fired two shots at the law enforcement vehicle from a nine millimeter pistol and sped away heading east, according to a charging document.

Officers who pursued him toward Muldoon said they were shot at again. While the pursuit was underway, over one hundred officers from across Alaska were attending Police Memorial Day ceremonies at the state crime lab on Martin Luther King Drive. As the ceremony wound down, Fatialofa abandoned the stolen vehicle on Russian Jack Drive, just north of Reka Drive. By this time, troopers were using a helicopter, Helo Trio, to track Fatialofa.

Police attending the ceremony also got involved along with unmarked units and a K-9 team.

Fatialofa’s wifey, Salani, later told authorities that she received a call from her spouse telling he was running from police and was hiding in a trailer. Salani, who was with another woman, Reihana Hansen, and two toddlers, picked him up and drove off, according to charging documents.

Police stopped them at Debarr Road and Bragaw Street. The women were taken into custody as Fatialofa fled on foot, running south into the Golden Nugget Trailer Park on Hoyt Street. Officers flushed out Fatialofa and he ran into a nearby Costco parking lot. Two citizens who eyed Fatialofa detained him until police arrived and took him into custody.

It made me feel panicked

Amber Rochon has had first-hand practice with Fatialofa. Rochon opened a drive-through coffee hut in Eagle Sea in January. Less than three months later, burglars burst through the window of her fresh business and stole her empty cash register and credit card processor.

About four hours later, the thieves returned to Key Coffee Co. and stole ten Crimson Bull energy drinks.

“It made me feel frightened to come to work the next day,” Rochon said.

Rochon posted security-camera photos of one of the thieves on Facebook, asking the public to help identify the man. In the indictment, the burglars are identified as Fatialofa and Usugafono Palauni.

Alleva, holder of Grubstake Auction Co., says his business was also burglarized the same day, March 21.

His auction company, located in Ship Creek, was burglarized a few hours after Rochon’s coffee hut. Burglars kicked in Grubstake’s front door and made off a cash box, a computer, keys, and a hoodie. The crime was captured on Alleva’s security movie.

Alleva and his son compared their surveillance footage with the pic Rochon had posted.

“It was clear to me it was the same stud,” said Alleva, who recently run unsuccessfully for a seat on the Anchorage Assembly.

Numerous businesses, from diners to pottery studios, hit

Fatialofa and the others named in last week’s indictment were involved in at least twelve break-ins in and around Anchorage inbetween March seventeen and March 28. Some of the other businesses hit include Inspire Physical Therapy, Color Me Mine, Lilly’s Restaurant, A&A Subaru Service, Fix Automotive, Granny’s Guns, Alaska State Leadership, Café Loco, and Kriner’s Diner.

The Kriner’s Diner incident almost turned deadly.

Police responded to a report at 12:30 a.m. on March twenty eight that boys were attempting to break into the Midtown diner on C Street near West Fireweed Lane, according to court papers. When they arrived they found a white GMC Yukon parked behind the restaurant. When officers attempted to block it in, the Yukon rammed the police car out of the way and turn onto C Street, driving in the wrong direction.

The Yukon turned onto A Street, again driving in the wrong direction. Officers observed the vehicle drive off the road near Fireweed. When officers reached it, they found Desiree Osburn and Joslyn Pagaduan as the foot occupants. As a group of officers began climbing down an embankment near C and 19th Avenue, they encountered a hail of gunfire.

The two women were arrested. They said Moevao had been driving the vehicle earlier. Osburn said Palauni was also inwards. Neither identified Uiese, Fatialofa, or anyone else being in the car. And neither admitted that anyone in the Yukon had taken part in any burglary.

A bloody shoe was found in the Yukon and blood stains were found on the passenger and driver’s seat, according to court documents.

Police also used DNA, footprints and fingerprints to connect some of the other cases.

Klugman, the prosecutor, said the 30-count indictment reflects only a “small fraction” of the burglaries and vehicle thefts that have occurred during the later half of March.

“I would strongly encourage anyone with extra information about the charged incident or anyone aware of other crimes that have not yet been reported to police to do so instantly,” Klugman said.

Anchorage Police Chief Chris Tolley said many of Anchorage’s car thefts and burglaries are drug-related.

The stolen cars are often “instruments of the crime and they’re using these vehicles to commit other crimes,” Tolley told reporters.

Asked if the arrests of the four dudes has slowed Anchorage’s car theft problem, Tolley said no.

APD did see an initial decrease after the four fellows were arrested but the number of cases involving stolen vehicles in July is about back to where it was in April, according to police statistics.

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