A man suspected of breaking into a number of airplanes parked at Merrill Field has been arrested on charges of second-degree theft and criminal mischief, according to police. Jeremy Fike, 28, was arrested early Saturday morning on charges that he broke into an airplane and stole tools, cold-weather gear and other belongings. But the break-in this weekend may have been only Fike's latest, police said.

Back in mid-January, police learned that three or four airplanes had been broken into while tied down at the airport. The thefts stopped for a time, however, until Feb. 20, when they resumed on a nightly basis until Saturday, police said.

Using surveillance footage, police discovered the thief was striking between 1:30 and 4:30 a.m. and usually rode a bike as he stole survival gear, tools, radios and hunting equipment, police said.

Then, Saturday at about 4:15 a.m., officer Jason Whetsell saw a man matching the description of the thief and stopped him near the University of Alaska Anchorage Aviation Technology Center.

Police say Fike was intoxicated and carrying two bags containing cold-weather gear, a seat belt and an assortment of tools, including a pneumatic drill and wrenches.

Backtracking on Fike's tracks, police discovered he had approached 17 aircraft that night and broken into at least one of them, police said.

A preliminary estimate of the value of stolen goods and damage sustained during entry to the aircraft was between $6,000 and $10,000, police said.

Police say more charges are pending against Fike, pending the outcome of their investigation. Fike was booked at the Anchorage jail with bail set at $5,000.

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