Anchorage police expect further charges against a man who intentionally drove over a female victim at the Brother Francis Shelter parking lot on Friday afternoon in what has now turned into a fatal vehicular assault.

A 911 call alerted APD to an injury collision at the shelter at 4:39 pm on Friday. APD responded and opened an initial investigation after which, they took 23-year-old Duop Thatrjiath into custody.

According to the investigation, Tharjiath had been sitting in a vehicle at the shelter that had been reported stolen just hours before from a Cash America parking lot in Mountain View, when “he put the car in reverse, hit the gas pedal, and ran over an adult female in the parking lot,” APD revealed.

The woman had been walking in the lot with another person when hit. That man suffered a glancing blow from the vehicle but escaped injury. Following that initial impact, Tharjiath crashed into a connex at the scene. Police say that the incident was intentional but that there is no indication that Tharjiath knew either person. “The two victims were patrons at Brother Francis.  It is unknown why Tharjiath was in the parking lot,” investigators revealed.

Police arrived at the shelter quickly and took Tharjiath into custody. After the initial investigation, Tharjiath was transported to the Anchorage Jail and remanded on charges of Assault I and III, Vehicle Theft I, Theft II, Reckless Endangerment, and Violation of Conditions of Release in a prior case. Prosecutors have yet to reveal further charges.

The victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment of her injuries, that at the time were deemed non-life-threatening, but succumbed to her injuries nine hours later. 

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