Three charged in string of burglaries

• Anchor Point store, walrus head, bear rug and televisions targeted in burglary spree
By Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune
A rash of burglaries in the Anchor Point area over a two-month period this spring led to three men being charged on multiple felony counts, one involving a theft at the North Fork home of a deceased person.
Nathan Sargeant III, 21, Ross A. Poindexter, 21 and Henry V. Mischler, 20, were each charged with four counts of first-degree burglary, four counts of theft and three counts of third-degree criminal mischief Aug. 19.
The first case involved a March 28 or 29 burglary of a home that resulted in the theft of a 42-inch flat-screen television worth $799. One of those allegedly involved in the case, Mischler, told Alaska State Trooper Ryan Browning the men intended to sell the television in Kenai or Soldotna.
One place allegedly hit by suspects was the Warehouse Grocery Store in Anchor Point between April 17-18. Burglars had gained entry in the back by prying off siding to enter a small storage area, “but were unable to get further into the building due to a locked gate.” Steaks, hamburger, snacks and energy drinks worth $483.57 were reported missing by the owners.
Investigating troopers later found shoe impressions in the snow and mud from two separate individuals outside the back door area of the store.
Nearly two weeks after the reported burglary, another witness told troopers the three had bragged about the break-in and he helped lead them to evidence in this case.
Clues to another burglary came to light during a May 6 interview of one of the suspects when troopers were told by Sargeant that he had driven the car to a “few places where he’d gotten some stuff.” One was a trailer house where they allegedly took a walrus skull and black bear rug.
“Sargeant stated they knew nobody was home because they would always scope out the place to make sure, and he would not go with them if they hadn’t made sure it was unoccupied,” according to troopers in the charging documents.
This burglary was at a North Fork home. A man had reported an after-the-fact break-in of his deceased father’s trailer house, though troopers had already been questioning the three suspects on the break-in. The front door had been broken, and inside was a glass display case with broken hangers where there apparently had been a walrus skull hanging.
Troopers were able to locate ivory tusks, removed from the skull, that had been sold for $124 to another man. The buyer produced a receipt he was able to show troopers that was signed by Mischler with his cell phone number on it. The black bear rug was recovered at another person’s home who had purchased it from the suspects. His receipt was signed by a false name but listed the same cell phone number. That buyer had also purchased a coyote pelt from the suspect, according to court charges.
Another burglary, believed to have occurred on April 18-19 also is involved in the charges against Poindexter, Sargeant and Mischler. Each is charged with three felony counts for breaking into another Anchor Point home for the theft of a $3,456 in property, including a fire safe with all its contents.
The flat screen television was located across the street from the victim’s residence, broken in half. Troopers said the suspects reported it dropped when they were trying to load the television into a car.