A woman originally charged with attempted murder in a shooting outside of the Kenai Walmart last November pleaded guilty to two Class B felonies and a Class A misdemeanor Thursday in Kenai Superior Court.
Ashley Nelund, 28, of Sterling, pleaded guilty to misconduct involving weapons in the second-degree, assault in the fourth-degree and attempted misconduct involving a controlled substance in the second-degree. Superior Court Judge Charles Huguelet accepted the guilty plea. Sentencing will take place Nov. 25 at 3:30 p.m.
Each Class B Felony carries with it a maximum of 10 years in jail and a $100,000 fine, Huguelet said. The maximum jail time for the assault charge is one year.
Nelund’s defense attorney Dina Cale said in court an agreement was reached with the District Attorney’s office to reduce two counts of assault in the third-degree, a Class C Felony, to fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
The first two charges stem from an incident on Nov. 1, 2013 after Kenai Police allege she fired multiple shots at an occupied vehicle in the Walmart parking lot.
According to the affidavit, Kenai Police responded to the parking lot at about 7:10 p.m. after the suspect had fled the scene in a red 2005 Ford Focus. Police located Nelund 30 minutes later outside a residence on Japonski Drive in Kenai.
At the scene, police spoke to a passenger inside the vehicle being shot at, a 17-year-old juvenile at the time. He told police the altercation started when Nelund approached him and the person he was with about owing her money. As the juvenile and the driver started to drive away, Nelund opened fire on the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
Nelund admitted to police that she fired three shots at the bumper of the vehicle with the intention of scaring the occupants.
Nelund was also indicted on second- and fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance from an Oct. 30, 2013 incident for delivery and possession of heroin.
According to charging documents filed by Kenai police on Oct. 31, Kenai Police and Fire Department responded to a home on Ames Road for a report of a heroin overdose. Responders found Jennifer Carr unconscious on a bed with a syringe next to her. In a subsequent interview, Carr told police the heroin was purchased from Nelund.
In court Nelund agreed to waive the right of a trial and to consolidate the two separate cases to one and accept the three convictions. Nelund is currently jailed at Wildwood Pretrial Facility, where she will await sentencing.
Huguelet said the Department of Corrections would complete a pre-sentence report on Nelund’s criminal history prior to sentencing.
Reach Dan Balmer at daniel.balmer@peninsulaclarion.com.
