Alaska News

5 questioned by police after 'suspicious activity' in S. Anchorage

Anchorage police detained five people for questioning Wednesday after a homeowner reported "suspicious activity" in his South Anchorage neighborhood for the second time in four days, police said.

Police responded to the 3500 block of East 65th Ave. shortly before noon after Paul Cole, 28, dialed 911. Cole had taken off of work to watch the family's two-story house after an intruder triggered the home's security system Sunday night, said his wife, Denise Cole, 22.

On Wednesday afternoon, he looked out the living room window and saw a car parked down the street and two people at his front door, Cole said. Then, he called police.

When police arrived, two people near the home immediately started running, said Sgt. Amanda Fisher. Police blocked off the area and called in a K-9 unit. They caught the two individuals, detaining them along with the three people sitting in the parked car, said Jennifer Castro, police spokeswoman.

Police had not filed charges as of Wednesday evening.

Cole stood outside of the home Wednesday afternoon and recounted a similar incident Sunday night. Around 11 p.m. she said she woke up to the sound of people banging on her front door. "I looked outside and saw two guys with white masks on," she said. Then, someone slid open the unlocked back door, setting off an alarm. The three men ran, she said. Police said the suspects fled in a car.

"We really don't know what's going on," Cole said.

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She said her family had only installed the security system a week ago after hearing about the recent robberies in South Anchorage.

On March 8, six men held a woman and her teenage son at gunpoint, binding them with bungee cords. Nine days later, police said, another South Anchorage home was robbed by multiple suspects. Police have not made arrests in either case and do not know if any of the cases are connected, Castro said.

Reach Tegan Hanlon at thanlon@adn.com or 257-4589.

By TEGAN HANLON

thanlon@adn.com

Tegan Hanlon

Tegan Hanlon was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News between 2013 and 2019. She now reports for Alaska Public Media.

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