At 4:23 pm on Saturday, the Department of Corrections contacted Alaska State Troopers and advised them that 37-year-old Stewart Erhart of Tanana had fled the Northstar Center and now was placed on escaped status.

Two hours later, a commercial burglary was reported at the Water wagon along the Parks Highway. The building was forced into and a pickup truck was stolen. The ensuing investigation would determine that Erhart was responsible.

A short time later, troopers spotted Erhart driving the stolen vehicle in Fairbanks. When AST attempted to stop Erhart, he ignored officers then tried to ram the trooper with the vehicle. As a result, troopers broke off pursuit.

A short time later, AST located the stolen vehicle but found it was now was unoccupied. A K9 unit was brought in and K9 Lenox began tracking the suspect. Erhart was soon tracked to an address on 22nd Avenue. At that location, two persons were contacted. They denied any knowledge of Erhart or his whereabouts. Erhart would be located in an outside crawlspace of the apartment building and taken into custody.

Erhart was transported to the Fairbanks Correctional Center where he was remanded on charges of Escape III, Assault III, Felony Eluding, and charges of Burglary II and Vehicle Theft related to the Water Wagon case.

  assault, corrections, eluding, escape, halfway house, hindering, northstar, stewart erhart, troopers