Spenard armed robbery suspect in custody; Anchorage police seek 3 others

A man who police say walked into a Spenard smoke shop and fired a single shot before robbing the business was taken into custody Tuesday evening, but at least three other suspects are still on the loose, the Anchorage Police Department said in a written statement.

The suspect walked into Smoker's Choice, at 3600 Minnesota Drive, just before 6 p.m. Tuesday, police spokesman MJ Thim said.

The man fired one shot from his weapon, robbed the business and walked out, according to police. He got into a white Chevrolet Impala that had at least three other people inside, possibly two men and a woman, Thim said. Nobody was injured in the robbery.

The Chevy was found abandoned near 36th Avenue and Iowa Street. Around 6:50 p.m., police sent out a message asking the drivers to avoid the area, and for residents to stay inside and call 911 if they saw anything suspicious.

One person called 911 with a report of a person "lurking in the area" of Wiley Post Avenue and Turnagain Boulevard, Thim said.

The man was found by police in a backyard and taken into custody, police said. By around 9:45 p.m., officers had cleared the area.

Police are still searching for at least three other suspects who were in the Chevy at the time of the robbery. No physical descriptions were available Tuesday.