Juneau Police Department officers made a quick turnaround on a reported vehicle theft, arresting the suspect a little more than an hour later in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
JPD responded to a 911 call from a 37-year-old man at about 11:13 p.m. Wednesday, reporting that his blue 2003 Subaru Forester had been stolen from the parking lot of the Valley Breeze-in, Public Safety Manager Erann Kalwara said in a press release.
The vehicle was located by a JPD officer at about 12:37 a.m. Thursday on Mendenhall Loop Road, Kalwara said. The vehicle turned onto Valley Boulevard and a traffic stop was conducted.
The driver, Koby Blake, 26, of Juneau, was arrested for first-degree vehicle theft, as well as driving with a revoked license. The vehicle was not damaged and nothing appeared to be missing, Kalwara said. Blake was taken to the Lemon Creek Correctional Center.
Blake was arraigned in Juneau District Court Thursday and a preliminary hearing into the evidence against him was scheduled for Aug. 11.
According to online court records, Blake has two prior vehicle theft convictions — in March 2010 and November 2011. His most recent felony conviction, in June 2016, for a guilty plea to fourth-degree assault; charges of robbery and theft were dismissed.
