Three defendants pleaded not guilty in Kenai Superior Court on Tuesday to charges of kidnapping, assaulting and sexually assaulting two individuals, stealing weapons and intending to distribute drugs.
Alex Hawkins, Kami Wright and Kenny Kitchen were arrested by Kenai Police Department officers Sept. 26 and arraigned in Kenai Superior Court on Tuesday. Initially charged separately, the state has since charged all three together with crimes including four counts of kidnapping in the first degree, three counts of sexual assault in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree, one count of assault in the third degree, two counts of assault in the fourth degree, two counts of misconduct involving weapons in the second degree, one count of misconduct involving weapons in the third degree, one count of misconduct involving weapons in the fourth degree, one count of theft in the second degree, and three counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the second degree.
Hawkins and Kitchen are additionally each charged with one count of sexual assault in the first degree.
The kidnapping, sexual assault and assault charges stem from an incident in which Kenai police officers claim the three restrained two people outside Wright’s home in Kenai, cavity searched them for drugs and beat one of them. The weapons, theft and drug charges stem from the discovery of a sawed-off shotgun and a silver pistol, the brass knuckles, an allegedly stolen rifle, heroin and methamphetamines inside the house, according to the indictment from the grand jury dated Oct. 4.
In court Tuesday, Hawkins’ attorney Rex Butler of Anchorage said he intended to file a notice of self-defense on his client’s behalf, though it had not been filed yet. According to the affidavit included with the initial charging documents, Hawkins told the Kenai Police Department that one of the people had attacked him and he was defending himself.
A trial week is currently scheduled for Nov. 13, though Superior Court Judge Anna Moran noted during the arraignment that that date seemed soon and could be in error, saying the court would sort out the scheduling in the future. An omnibus hearing was scheduled for Oct. 24 in Kenai.
Reach Elizabeth Earl at elizabeth.earl@peninsulaclarion.com.
