A man who eluded Troopers for two and half days in remote Southwestern Alaska has been arrested on charges of rape and kidnapping, according to Alaska Public Radio's Alaska News Nightly.
Last week, 22-year-old Colten Zaukar fled from Troopers after allegedly violently assaulting a woman in the Southwestern Alaska village of Sleetmute. Zaukar reportedly used an axe to hack his way through the front door of a woman's home. Once inside he attacked a female resident, authorities say, beating her before dragging her from the house down a trail toward the nearby Kuskokwim River where he raped her.
The victim was taken to Bethel hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries while Troopers and a U.S. Deputy Marshal traveled to the village to investigate. Alaska News Nightly reports that Troopers believe Zaukar's family helped him elude authorities.
Trooper spokesperson Megan Peters said that the family members "took him to a wooded, mountainous region on the far side of town. Troopers were unable to apprehend him even though they took about six hours out in the woods trying to find him."
Zaukar is no stranger to violent behavior. In 2010 he was arrested for attempted murder after allegedly attacking a family member with a hatchet. But the attempted murder charges were dismissed after he plead guilty to third-degree assault instead. In 2011, Zaukar was arrested on suspicions of burglary. He was in jail until August 15 of this year, but posted bail and was released. His trial was set for the end of October.
Troopers did not say how they caught Zaukar, but only that they'd received a "tip" regarding his whereabouts and were able to apprehend him without incident.