Two men were arrested after a long car chase between Soldotna and Kenai with Alaska State Troopers on Sunday morning.
Troopers got an anonymous tip early Sunday that two men were selling stolen snowmachines near Lucky Raven Tobacco near Soldotna. When they arrived around 6 a.m., they saw a truck with two snowmachines and tried to pull the car over, according to an online dispatch.
“The vehicle failed to yield and a lengthy pursuit ensued for approximately 25 miles from Soldotna to Kenai, back to Soldotna and finally ended in a small residential area,” the dispatch states.
Justin Lunsford, 29, of Anchorage, was driving, and Shivonne Gouldman, 38, of Anchor Point, was riding along. Upon pulling them over, the troopers found that the truck, trailer and two snowmachines had all been stolen in Anchorage. Lunsford was also driving under the influence of drugs, according to the dispatch.
Lunsford was arrested on one count of failure to stop at the direction of a police officer in the first degree, one count of vehicle theft in the first degree, three counts of theft in the second degree, one count of assault in the third degree, and one count each of reckless driving and driving under the influence of drugs. Gouldman was arrested on one count of vehicle theft and three counts of theft in the second degree, according to the dispatch. Both were taken to Wildwood Correctional Complex Pretrial Facility in Kenai and held without bail.
All the vehicles were undamaged, and the snowmachines and trailer were returned to their rightful owners. The truck is awaiting return to its rightful owner as of Sunday, according to the dispatch.
—Staff reports
