Three people were arrested Oct. 31 at the Kenai Courthouse for the alleged burglary and theft of an incarcerated man’s possessions two weeks earlier.
Alaska State Troopers with the property crime suppression unit arrested Anchorage resident Shawn Seaman, 29, and Kenai residents Travis Longbotham, 31, and Esperanza Torres, 22, each for burglary in the first degree and theft in the second degree of a man’s home in Kasilof.
Burglary in the first degree is a class B felony and if convicted holds a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to $100,000 fine. Theft in the second degree is a class C felony and the maximum penalty is five years in jail and a fine of $50,000.
Troopers responded to a report of attempted theft on Oct. 17 in Kasilof. The caller, Elizabeth Cruickshank, was watching Paul Robson’s property when Seaman and Torres attempted to take a vehicle from the home, according to a trooper affidavit.
Robson, currently jailed at Wildwood Pretrial Facility, was arrested on Oct. 10 after the Drug Enforcement Unit, troopers and Kenai police found Robson with $38,000 worth of heroin.
Seaman and Torres fled the scene in a white GMC Astro Van and were later stopped by trooper Casey Hershberger at Mile 105 of the Sterling Highway. Neither Torres, who was driving, nor Seaman had a valid driver’s license. Longbotham was also in the van. The three admitted to coming from Robson’s house, but denied stealing anything, according to the affidavit.
Seaman stated items had been stolen from Robson’s residence since his arrest and they were at his property to retrieve a vehicle before someone stole it.
Torres was arrested for driving with a revoked license revoked and failure to insure a vehicle. A small amount of marijuana was found in the van. The van was impounded and a search warrant was obtained to perform a search. “A significant amount of property known to belong to Robson” was discovered in the van. The items included televisions, tools, stereo equipment and clothes, valued at more than $750, according to the report.
Robson was shown photos of the items and said neither Torres, Seaman or Longbotham was given permission to have the items. Robson told troopers he believed his house was broken into after troopers completed their search warrant on Oct. 10, according to the report.
Cruickshank confirmed to troopers she arrived at Robson’s residence the day he was arrested and found items missing.
She didn’t inform troopers because she was unsure if the missing items had been seized from the search warrant. Many of the items Cruickshank listed missing were recovered from inside the van, according to the report.
Cruickshank told troopers she saw Longbotham climbing over the fence of Robson’s property when she arrived at the residence on Oct. 17.
Torres was scheduled for an arraignment on Oct. 31 at 1:30 p.m. at the Kenai Courthouse on the two misdemeanors but failed to appear. Torres, Seaman and Longbotham were arrested in the parking lot of the courthouse at 1:45 p.m.
During his arrest, Seaman was found in possession of a set of “bump keys” used to bypass keylocks. Seaman, Torres and Longbotham are currently jailed at Wildwood Pretrial Facility.
The next court date for Seaman, Torres and Longbotham is Nov. 10 at the Kenai Courthouse.
Reach Dan Balmer at daniel.balmer@peninsulaclarion.com.
