A man was indicted last week in the Kenai Superior Court for allegedly stealing an aluminum fishing boat from a Kenai residence in May 2017.
The “Kenai Jewel,” an 18-foot Alumaweld boat, was found in the Kasilof Cemetery on May 20, 2017, two weeks after it was reported missing from the driveway of a residence on Chinook Court in Kenai, according to an affidavit filed with the court. The boat was missing a Yamaha Outboard motor, motor controls and safety equipment when it was found. Police dusted the inside the boat for fingerprints, and lifted several prints off the boat’s center console door. The Alaska Crime lab matched the print of a left index finger belonging to Donald Ruhl, 42, according to court documents. Ruhl told a Kenai police officer he had not stolen the boat and there was no reason his fingerprint should be on the boat, according to documents.
Ruhl was indicted on Wednesday, Jan. 17, and charged with one count of vehicle theft in the first degree, a class C felony; two counts of theft in the second degree, both class C felonies; one count of criminal mischief in the third degree, a class C felony; and one count of tampering with physical evidence, a class C felony. Ruhl was released on a $2500 unsecured performance bond.