A string of violent robberies and a home invasion in northeast Anchorage late Friday night left a 72-year-old homeowner hospitalized in critical condition and two others injured, according to Anchorage police.
In a statement, police described a group of four men who beat up three victims over the course of about an hour. One person reported being hit in the face with a bottle. The suspects also apparently broke into a home and beat the 72-year-old homeowner unconscious.
At least two of the attacks appeared to be random, targeting people who happened to be walking in the neighborhood late at night, said Anchorage police spokeswoman Anita Shell.
Police were first called at about 10 p.m. to the area of North Bunn Street and Mountain View Drive. A man had called 911 to report that four men attacked him and stole his wallet and cellphone.
The man told police he was struck in the head with a bottle. Police observed cuts to his face, Shell wrote in a Saturday statement.
The man described his assailants as "four Samoan males, one very heavy set, three with an average build; one of the assailants had blonde hair," according to the police statement.
About 10 minutes later, a 50-year-old man walked into the Holiday gas station at 4627 Mountain View Drive and said he'd been walking in the area when he was assaulted, Shell wrote. His wallet was also reported stolen.
The man was bleeding and had a cut lip, Shell wrote.
He described his attackers as "two Samoan males and two Black males," Shell wrote.
About 11 p.m., multiple people started calling police near the 3800 block of Thompson Avenue to report that four men were trying to break into a home.
Witnesses said the men were "throwing rocks at the windows and kicking the front door of the house," Shell wrote.
The homeowner, a 72-year-old man, was on the phone with police when the suspects broke in.
He was then beaten in the head and his skull fractured, Shell wrote. Paramedics took the homeowner to a hospital, where he had surgery and is now in critical condition.
The homeowner's assailants were described as "four Samoan males, one very heavy set, three of average build, one with wavy blonde hair," according to the police statement.
Shell said it wasn't yet known if the homeowner knew the attackers, or if anything was stolen from the home.
A police dog search for the attackers was unsuccessful, Shell said. No suspects have been identified or arrested in the case.
Anyone with information on the suspects is being asked to call Anchorage police at 907-786-8900. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward, call Crime Stoppers at 907-561-STOP or submit a tip online at anchoragecrimestoppers.com.