Investigation of a Sunday burglary in Nikiski led to arrests of three people, Alaska State Troopers say, who are accused of stealing clothes, electronics, collectible cards and tools.
Kosha Jacob, 35, of Kenai; Justin Davidhizar, 38, of Soldotna; and Andrew Whipple, 36, of Kenai, were all arrested near Soldotna and charged with first-degree burglary, second-degree theft and fifth-degree criminal mischief, according to a dispatch from troopers. Whipple was also charged with possession of burglary tools.
An affidavit included in charging documents says that troopers were notified around 2 p.m. on Sunday by a Nikiski resident that his home had been broken into and items had been taken. He told troopers that he thought Jacob and Davidhizar were behind the crime because items belonging to Jacob in the home had been taken. Jacob, the affidavit says, lives at the home “off and on” but doesn’t have access to it on her own.
The responding trooper reported seeing a broken latch on the door to the residence, and the caller told the trooper that “nearly all of Jacob’s items were gone,” as well as several of his own possessions, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit says that these included a significant quantity of collectible cards estimated to be worth “several thousand dollars,” roughly $2,000 in electronics, and other items including watches and power tools.
Earlier that day, the affidavit says, the man told troopers he had been “confronted” by Jacob, Davidhizar, and Whipple, in a blue Ford truck.
Security camera footage from a neighbor, obtained by the trooper, shows the blue truck arriving around 10:30 a.m., when two men and a woman are seen “going into, out of, and loading items from” the home for around 20 minutes, then they depart, according to troopers.
Troopers found Jacob and Davidhizar and questioned them at a shop in Soldotna later that day. Both said they had only taken things that belonged to Jacob, the affidavit says, and Davidhizar declined to let troopers search the shop.
After a warrant was granted, the affidavit says troopers searched the shop with the Nikiski man present. They found “a majority” of the cards, a duffel bag of his clothing, a nail gun and a power charger. The affidavit lists several items, including a television, laptop and other power tools, that are not described as having been found.
Jacob, Davidhizar and Whipple were all arrested and charged — Whipple received a charge of possession of burglary tools for allegedly using a pair of bolt cutters to break a lock.
The three were taken to Wildwood Pretrial and scheduled for arraignment Monday.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
