Crime & Courts

Police: Alleged Anchorage motorcycle thief fired gun at pursuers

A 44-year-old Anchorage man faces multiple charges after allegedly stealing a motorcycle and then shooting a gun to scare off a pursuer.

Jonathan Ortiz Escalante has been charged with vehicle theft, second-degree weapons misconduct, criminal mischief and assault. The charges haven't gone before a grand jury yet.

The owner of the bike and his friends found the stolen red Honda sports motorcycle on Sept. 7. The owner later told police the bike had been damaged and its license plate changed, according to the charges against Escalante. Additionally, the charges say, the bike was spray-painted, its ignition had been ripped out and several other parts were missing.

"The bike was valued at around $6,000 and (the owner) believes his insurance will total the bike," the charges say.

Upon calling 911, the owner and his friends spotted Escalante exiting a residence and leave on the Honda. The group followed the alleged thief, according to the charges, and confronted him at the intersection of Duben Avenue and Muldoon Road in East Anchorage.

The owner managed to turn the bike off before Escalante could run a red light to escape his pursuers, according to the charges. The defendant allegedly dropped the bike and ran.

The group caught up with Escalante and held him, "telling him to wait for the police," the charges say. He initially agreed, but when they let their guard down he ran once more. One of the bike owner's friends chased Escalante, who turned around and fired a weapon at him.

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"Witnesses heard four to five more shots after Escalante ran to the east," the charges say. "Several people were standing in the area when he fired the gun."

Anchorage police reportedly tracked down the man's address. They spoke with his wife; she told police Escalante burst into the home "sweaty and out of breath." He didn't stay for long, as he heard sirens and took off.

According to online court records, Escalante made an initial court appearance Friday at the Anchorage Correctional Complex. A District Court judge set his bail at $5,000.

The charges indicated Escalante has five previous criminal convictions, including property damage and criminal trespass in 1996.

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

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