A Nikiski man was apprehended and charged with eight counts following a chase and search after troopers were notified of a burglary in progress at a Nikiski residence on Thursday morning, AST reported.

Troopers responded to a residence on Two Junes Avenue in Nikiski after receiving a report of a burglary taking place at that address at 2:29 am on Thursday morning. A search of the area would locate the suspect, later identified as 23-year-old Dakoda Neely, in an RV on an adjacent property.

Neely, in response, started the RV and fled the scene, almost hitting a patrol vehicle as he did so. Troopers would initiate a search for the purloined vehicle and would locate it two and a half hours later, wrecked and abandoned on Cabin Lake Drive.

The search for Neely continued and a short time later, he was located on Commerce Drive, also in Nikiski. When spotted, Neely fled into the woods. As a result, K9 “Donna” was dispatched along with a trooper to track Neely.

At 6:52, troopers were notified that Neely was asleep in a trailer at McGrady Court. Troopers responded and took Neely into custody. He was charged with Burglary I, Assault III on a Peace Officer, Vehicle Theft I, Reckless Driving, two counts of Criminal Trespass I, Criminal Mischief IV, and Leaving the Scene of a Collision.

One trooper suffered a non-life-threatening injury in a fall during the incident and was taken to the Central Peninsula Hospital for treatment.

Neely was transported to Kenai and remanded to the Wildwood Pretrial Facility without bail.

  assault, burglary, dakoda neely, donna, k9, kenai peninsula, mischief, nikiski, theft, trespass, vehicle