Crime & Courts

Anchorage police K-9 nabs alleged Subaru thief

A 25-year-old car thief was chased down by a police K-9 Tuesday morning after authorities cornered a stolen Subaru downtown, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

Faofua Afasene, 25, struck a police vehicle and a building in his attempt to flee during the incident, police said. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of "minor injuries sustained during the arrest," police said. After being cleared at the hospital, he'll be taken to the Anchorage jail to await trial on numerous counts, with bail set at $27,500 and a third-party custodian.

At about 1:20 a.m., police officer Scott Huston spotted an unoccupied Subaru Impreza sedan parked against a building at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Denali Street, police said.

"The officer observed the sedan for about 20 minutes until he saw two people get into it and attempt to drive away. Officer Huston pulled up behind the sedan in his marked Ford Explorer to prevent it from backing up. The driver rammed Officer Huston's vehicle, and then the building in an attempt to flee, but was unsuccessful," according to police.

Afasene tried to run from the scene of the wreck on foot, but was apprehended by the officer's four-legged partner Kenai.

"He realized he wasn't getting far, so he got out and ran -- so that's when we deployed the K-9," said APD spokesperson Anita Shell.

Afasene sustained puncture wounds and scratches from the police dog, Shell said.

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Police said they searched the stolen vehicle and found a handgun on the driver-side floorboard.

Damage to the Subaru and building were estimated at about $2,000, police said.

Afasene has been charged with assault, vehicle theft, resisting arrest, weapons misconduct and criminal mischief. He already had three felony warrants issued for his arrest, which stemmed from prior vehicle theft and eluding charges, as well as violating his probation conditions.

The second person seen getting into the vehicle was not charged with a crime, Shell said.

The arrest comes on the same day the police department announced that 13 vehicles had been stolen in 36 hours. The majority of the stolen cars included incidents in which drivers left keys in the running vehicles to warm them up.

The Subaru was reported stolen on Jan. 3, so Afasene's case is not tied to the rash of recent car thefts, Shell said. He has only been charged with the Subaru theft, she said.

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