A wig and sunglasses couldn’t stop police from recognizing a man who had three felony warrants, according to a Juneau Police Department release.
At about 1:30 p.m. Monday, a JPD officer saw a man in a long black wig and sunglasses while driving a white Jeep Cherokee. The officer suspected that Jeremy D. Simile, 32, was the man under the wig, according to the release.
The officer followed the Jeep, lost its track and then later found it in the 9200 block of Long Run Drive, where the Jeep hit a mailbox and caused an estimated $30 in damage. The driver took off on foot prior to the officer arriving, the release states.
The officer spoke to the Jeep’s passenger, 25-year-old Rikki Biggs, on the scene. Briggs refused to identify the male driver who had left, police say. Multiple officers searched the area and found Simile. They detained him on the lawn of the Alaskan Memorial Park funeral home, according to the release.
Simile was arrested on three outstanding felony warrants and was also charged with fifth-degree criminal mischief. The warrants include: one from Palmer for failing to appear in court (after he was originally found guilty of assault and theft), one out of Anchorage for theft, and one out of Juneau for failing to stop at the direction of an officer. Biggs was charged with first-degree hindering prosecution, and both were taken to Lemon Creek Correctional Center.
On March 2, 2018, Simile testified to the Alaska House Finance Committee in favor of more funding for reducing recidivism and preparing people for reentry. He testified that he had struggled with substance abuse and had undergone multiple treatment programs.
