Anchorage Daily News

If there's a handbook for muggers, Terry Butler forgot to read chapter one.

That's probably where it would say: Don't take a cab to a busy hotel, ride the elevator to the sixth floor, then stand around in a mugger outfit -- dark coat, baggy pants, pulled-up hood -- waiting for someone to rob.

But, according to police, that's what Butler did.

Early Monday morning, police said, Butler lurked in an alcove near an elevator at the Sheraton Hotel. The doors dinged open and out walked two men in their 20s, Kyle Dickerson-Lockwood and Benjamin Galdo.

Dickerson-Lockwood is a good-sized guy who plays hockey in Fairbanks. Galdo is a commercial fisherman. They were fresh from closing down the Polar Bar across the street.

Not ideal targets from a mugging point-of-view, there being two of them. But Butler, an average sized guy, was carrying a pistol in his pants, Dickerson-Lockwood said.

As the two unlocked the door to their room, Butler came up behind them, pulled the gun and ordered them inside, they told police.

They said Butler waved the gun in Galdo's face and hissed, "Where's your money at?"

Then Galdo did something mugging victims probably shouldn't do: "We don't have any money," he lied and slapped the gun away.

According to the victims, Butler recovered and put the gun to Dickerson-Lockwood's head. Galdo decided to negotiate. He didn't want his friend to get hurt.

"Maybe we can get you some money," he suggested.

But the gunman wasn't happy with the offer. He hit Dickerson-Lockwood, who is 5'9 and weighs 210 pounds, in the face. Once. Twice. Three times.

What's a hockey player to do?

Dickerson-Lockwood returned the punch so hard the gun hit the floor and everyone tumbled into the closet where the combat degenerated into biting and scratching.

As Dickerson-Lockwood tells it, he straddled Butler, blood running into his eyes. Butler dug his nails into the flesh on Galdo's cheek and pulled. Dickerson-Lockwood choked Butler and ended up with a finger in Butler's mouth. Butler bit down hard, crunching off his fingernail.

"I wasn't going to be able to get my finger out, but he had a missing tooth so I pulled it out from there," Dickerson-Lockwood said.

"I was like, 'Thank God you don't have dental care.' "

Galdo punched Butler again, knocking him unconscious.

When Butler woke up, he was in the closet, looking at a hotel security guard. Anchorage police charged him with robbery and assault. His bail was set at $15,600.

Dickerson-Lockwood headed back to Fairbanks, where he drives a Zamboni. Galdo missed his flight to New Jersey where he was headed to visit his family for the holidays.

"Dad," he explained over the phone. "I got mugged."

Well, sort of.

Find Julia O'Malley online at adn.com/contact/jomalley or call 257-4591.

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