Crime & Justice

Alaska State Troopers arrest man after Wasilla motorhome chase

A man was arrested in Wasilla Friday morning after leading Alaska State Troopers and the Wasilla Police Department on a highway pursuit in a motorhome.

Wasilla resident Eligah Christian, 49, was arrested Friday morning after the chase, according to troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters.

Christian had been wanted on an arrest warrant for 37 charges, including scheming to defraud, theft and issuing bad checks. Charges had been filed Thursday, according to online court records.

On Friday, troopers got a tip about Christian's whereabouts and at about 11:15 a.m. Friday went with the Wasilla Police Department to investigate.

Troopers found Christian near Mile 2 of Church Road. When they tried to make contact, he "jumped in a motorhome and started driving," Peters said.

Troopers tried to pull Christian over, but he "began to recklessly travel south" in the 2014 Coachmen motorhome. He then turned northbound on the Parks Highway, troopers say.

The chase took police down the Parks Highway several miles and then back again after the motorhome turned around. Spike strips were deployed near Pittman Road and the Parks Highway and Christian tried to change direction.

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While turning the motorhome around, Christian struck at least two patrol cars, troopers say. Spike strips were then deployed in another location and punctured the tires, but he kept driving.

The chase ended around 11:45 a.m. off North Pittman Road, Peters said, when Christian pulled into the same residence that he had been at originally. He was arrested and taken to the Mat-Su Pretrial facility.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed Christian's age as 59.

Laurel Andrews

Laurel Andrews was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in October 2018.

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