A man suspected of stealing a car near Chugiak early Tuesday was arrested by Anchorage police, who say his attempt to hide in a crawl space was thwarted with the help of a police K-9 unit.
Hank Kochendorfer, 31, was arrested on a charge of first-degree vehicle theft as well as a burglary warrant, according to a Wednesday statement from police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro.
The incident began slightly before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, when a police officer tried to stop a "possibly impaired driver" near the intersection of Amonson Road and Robin Drive.
"When the officer attempted to make contact with the driver, (Kochendorfer) got out of the vehicle and fled on foot," Castro wrote. "The vehicle was identified as a stolen vehicle. The license plate appeared to have been changed on the vehicle."
Police converged on the area to search for Kochendorfer. Officer Scott Huston's K-9, Kenai, led police to a plywood door leading to a crawl space beneath the back porch of an apparently unoccupied home on the 18000 block of Amonson.
"Both sides of the plywood appeared to be unlocked, with a fresh snow track underneath the porch," Castro wrote. "Officers made commands, including Kenai with some suggestive barks, for the suspect to come out of the crawlspace where he was attempting to hide under some insulation. The suspect came out and surrendered to officers."
Kochendorfer was taken to the Anchorage jail, with his bail subsequently set by a judge at $7,000.