Crime & Courts

5 Anchorage men charged in connection with spring home invasions

Five males between the ages of 16 and 20, all living in Anchorage, were indicted in Superior Court for a series of armed robberies in the spring, according to court documents filed Aug. 12.

Court documents allege the group, made up of Terry Brendon Pierce, 16, Andy Rudy Garcia, 18, Changkuoth David Kueth, 17, Gatdor Thayiel Reat, 20, and Matthew Adrian Colding, 19, are responsible for four home invasions. The teens and men have been charged with multiple counts of first-degree armed robbery and conspiracy robbery in the first degree.

The first robbery took place March 8, when six men reportedly stormed into a home on Tulin Park Loop in South Anchorage and held a female resident and her teenage son at gunpoint. A press release sent from the Anchorage Police Department shortly after the armed robbery stated that one of the men struck the teenage boy in the face.

APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro told Alaska Dispatch News March 9 that approximately $10,000 worth of items was stolen from the home. All of the men except Kueth were charged in connection with that robbery.

Then, just over a week later on March 17, all of the men took part in the second home invasion, according to the indictment. Just after midnight that Monday, a group of men broke into a home on Brandon Street, not far from the location of the first incident. Police reported no injuries in that robbery.

The third armed invasion took place on March 29, when court records say Garcia used a weapon during the robbery of a home along Centerfield Drive in Eagle River. A man called 911 and claimed that "three black men" had held him at gun point before taking off on foot. The victim claimed he did not know his assailants, said Castro.

The final robbery took place April 2, with three of the men allegedly participating. The indictment states Garcia, Kueth and Reat repeatedly knocked on a door at a home off of East 65th Avenue. The caller claimed the men were armed. Castro said when police arrived the men took off on foot.

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The indictment also states that all the men conspired to perform the acts of armed robbery. Conspiracy includes recruiting others to participate in acts of violence, providing information about future targets, coordinating clothing and weapons and the distribution of proceeds from the robberies.

Castro said she was unable to provide any additional details, as more suspects could be arrested and additional charges may be added in relation to the crimes.

Garcia was also charged Aug. 14 in connection to a fight and shooting in the parking lot of a South Anchorage Sports Authority store the day before, which involved roughly two dozen people, and sent two 16-year-olds to an Anchorage-area hospital.

Colding was also at the fight, and he and Garcia were both picked up with outstanding warrants from the Aug. 12 indictment.

Reat was already facing assault, theft and robbery charges, according to court records filed April 16.

According to the complaint, on Dec. 19 Reat and three other men fought an adult male and his younger brother at the Fred Meyer grocery store off Abbott Road, in South Anchorage, over a girl and a T-shirt. They stole the victims' phones.

According to court documents, Reat dragged a 16-year-old boy out of a 1994 Dodge Ram truck and proceeded to assault him. The men who were allegedly attacked claimed that the men who started the fight yelled "fight squad" before leaving.

Reat was identified as a participant during a lineup in mid-April.

On July 10, Garcia was charged with misconduct involving a weapon. According to charging documents, Garcia had been at a party that got "out of hand." The homeowner attempted to get everyone out of the house by firing warning rounds with a shotgun. Garcia responded by firing several shots out of a revolver.

Kueth was also facing other charges at the time of his Aug. 12 indictment. According to online records, he was being charged with theft, armed robbery and assault for a violent May 11 incident.

According to charging documents, three minors drove to the East High School parking lot around 5 p.m. to meet with two other males, including Kueth, who he referred to as "Chang." At least one of the victims claimed he had attended the Military Youth Academy with "Chang."

The alleged victims claimed Kueth and another assailant told them to "stop bullshitting" and to empty their pockets. Kueth's accomplice pulled a gun on the boys, according to charging documents. Kueth allegedly stole the car the boys arrived in, as well as cell phones, money and an AR-15 rifle.

Detectives interviewed Kueth three days later. He told detectives that he had planned the robbery, but had not participated, but two of the victims picked Kueth out of a lineup.

It's unclear how any of Kueth, Reat or Garcia's previous charges will affect the new indictment. Calls to the District Attorney's Office weren't returned as of Tuesday evening.

Megan Edge

Megan Edge is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News.

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