2 arrested near Soldotna on stolen vehicle, burglary, drug charges

Two central Kenai Peninsula residents are facing a variety of charges include vehicle theft, burglary, criminal mischief and misconduct involving controlled substances after they were arrested at a K-Beach home Saturday.

Alaska State Troopers arrested Kenneth Opel, 51, of Soldotna, and Donna Juliussen, 31, of Kenai, on Saturday night while responding to an open-line 911 call around 1:23 a.m. at a house on Poppy Ridge Road near Soldotna. Upon arriving, they found a stolen car that had unassociated license plates on it, according to an online trooper dispatch.

Troopers found Opel and Juliussen at the house and, upon investigation, found that Opel had a $5,000 outstanding warrant for violating his condition of release. He gave Troopers a false name at first as well, according to the dispatch.

“Opel was additionally found to be in possession of a controlled substance,” the dispatch states. “(Juliussen) was also contacted at the residence and also found to be in possession of a controlled substance.”

Troopers’ investigation found that the two had also broken into the house, which had been forced open. Both were arrested and taken to Wildwood Correctional Complex’s pretrial facility, according to the dispatch.

Both were charged with one count of burglary in the first degree, a class B felony; two counts of vehicle theft in the first degree, a class C felony; one count of criminal mischief in the third degree, a class C felony; one count of criminal mischief in the fifth degree, a class B misdemeanor; one count of improper use of evidence of registration, an unclassified misdemeanor; and one count of misconduct involving controlled substances in the fourth degree, a class A misdemeanor.

Opel was also charged with one count of providing false information, a class A misdemeanor, as well as the arrest warrant, which was related to a 2016 case of theft, tampering with physical evidence and violation of his parole.

Juliussen was also charged with one count of resisting arrest, a class A misdemeanor.

Both were arraigned Saturday at the Kenai Courthouse.

Reach Elizabeth Earl at elizabeth.earl@peninsulaclarion.com.

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