Crime & Courts

1 charged in Noorvik post office burglary

An 18-year-old Northwest Alaska man was arrested after burglarizing a U.S. post office, Alaska State Troopers said

In an online dispatch, troopers said a Noorvik village public safety officer was notified by several locals of a burglary in progress at the post office. When the officer arrived, a 17-year-old appeared to be standing as a lookout in the bushes, troopers said.

While the teen was detained, the officer noticed activity inside the post office, but when he searched the post office he found no one. According to troopers, citizens noticed someone running out of the building while the officer was on the other side.

The suspect was identified as Theodore Westlake. He was arrested when he returned to the scene, troopers said. The other teen was released.

Westlake was taken to the Kotzebue Regional Jail. Online court records state that Westlake faces a second-degree burglary charge, as well as a criminal mischief charge. The U. S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating the incident.

Megan Edge

Megan Edge is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News.

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