Nearly a week after Anchorage police warned residents not to leave cars running with keys in the ignition on cold winter mornings, a rash of vehicle thefts linked to the habit is continuing unabated, with nearly 40 taken so far.
Police spokeswoman Anita Shell said Monday morning that 11 vehicles were stolen across town on Saturday alone, with eight more reported Sunday and at least one Monday morning.
All of the cars taken Sunday had been left running to warm up by their owners, Shell said. Last week, police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro said the practice had contributed to a total of 17 car thefts in the course of about 24 hours, including 13 on Jan. 25 -- much higher than the city's typical average of one to three stolen vehicles per day.
Shell hadn't received word Monday morning on whether any of the thefts were considered linked or whether any of the people behind the crime wave were in custody. She did say, however, that officers made some progress over the weekend.
"Three K-9 officers working Saturday evening found three stolen vehicles, which were occupied and resulted in the arrest of the drivers," Shell said. In none of those cases were the cars stolen while they were running, police later wrote in a release.
The first was an Acura stolen from the Century movie theater parking lot on Jan. 16. On Sunday, a friend of the owner of the Acura called police to a car wash off West Dimond Boulevard, where he spotted a man spray-painting the stolen vehicle. The driver -- later identified as Damian Mowery, 25, of Anchorage -- drove off and headed north on the Old Seward Highway. Police said they were able to block off the vehicle and arrest Mowery.
Mowery was charged with vehicle theft and criminal mischief. He told police he was looking for unlocked cars when he discovered the Acura with a key inside.
The next theft occurred on Jan. 23 from a home on North Lane in Mountain View. Police said the owner told them the doors were locked when it was stolen. Early Sunday, an APD officer spotted the stolen Pontiac Grand Am headed west on Fifth Avenue. The officer, with the assistance of other officers, tried to block the car off, but the car rammed a police vehicle before police were successfully able to stop it.
Norman Seton, 34, of Anchorage, was arrested near Fifth Avenue and Juneau Street. He was charged with vehicle theft, driving with a suspended license and failure to stop.
The third solved recent vehicle theft occurred Jan. 25 near Ninth Avenue and K Street. Police said the owner told them the car was locked and no keys were inside. The Honda CRV was discovered Saturday night and parked on the side of the road near the 4400 block of Spenard Road.
The driver was found inside of a hotel lobby. He gave APD a false name and was booked at the Anchorage Correctional Complex as "John Doe." Investigation revealed he was 36-year-old Anwar Wheeler of Anchorage.
He was charged with vehicle theft and falsely reporting information. Wheeler also had a no-bail parole warrant out for him on the charges of assault, weapons misconduct and robbery.
Police ask anyone with information on the vehicle thefts to contact them at 907-786-8900, or Crime Stoppers at 907-561-STOP or via its website.