JUNEAU POLICE DEPARTMENT
6255 ALAWAY AVENUE JUNEAU, ALASKA 99801
Business (907) 586-0600
Fax (907) 463-4808
Integrity, Courage, Service, Respect
INFORMATION RELEASE
Date: 2013-12-24
From: Lt. Kris Sell
Case or Incident: #131217-010
On December 17th, 2013, at about 7:00 in the evening, someone took a vehicle that was left unlocked and running in the Nugget Mall parking lot for about 15 minutes. The vehicle has an Alaska license plate, DGR924. The vehicle is a 1997 red Toyota 4 door car with previously acquired front end damage and is missing the front bumper cover. It was nearly out of gas at the time it was taken.
Prior to the theft, the vehicle owner saw a man near the vehicle who the owner described as a white male adult with a red and yellow hat and a heavy coat.
Patrol and community service officers have been looking for the vehicle but are concerned the search may have been complicated by heavy snowfall that could be covering all or part of the vehicle. Typically cars taken under these circumstances are used for a short time then abandoned.
JPD asks that drivers supervise vehicles that are unlocked and running to ?warm up?. The higher the foot traffic in the area, the more likely a vehicle will be taken as a crime of opportunity. Juneau residents have experienced several of these types of vehicle thefts over the years, including the theft of vehicles from driveways.
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12/24/2013 17:08 PM Erann Kalwara - Update regarding stolen vehicle:
On December 24, 2013 at about 2:27PM, a 21 year old female called JPD and reported that she saw a vehicle that had been reported to JPD as stolen. The vehicle was parked, unoccupied, and covered with snow in the parking lot of a valley church.
A JPD officer responded to the scene and confirmed it was the red Toyota which had been reported as stolen on December 17th, 2013. JPD contacted the owner of the Toyota who responded to the scene. The Toyota did not appear to have sustained any new damage. A few wrapped Christmas gifts appeared to be missing and the owner indicated he would complete an inventory of his property to determine if anything else was stolen or damaged.
The Toyota was released to the registered owner. Investigation continues.
All factual allegations contained in this release are based upon preliminary investigation and are subject to change or clarification as the investigation continues. Any charges reported in this release are merely accusations and all persons named in this release are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.