An Anchorage car thief was captured after a morning of mayhem on Tuesday He was captured after a homeowner called in to report a man on his porch in the early afternoon.

The string of incidents began at just before 10 am on Tuesday morning when the owner of a black 2008 Chevy Impala got into an accident with another vehicle in a parking lot on the 3800-block of Lake Otis Parkway. The owner called in at 9:43 am to report that his vehicle, that was involved in the accident, was stolen at the scene.

According to the report, the Chevy’s owner had gotten out of their vehicle to exchange information with the driver of the other vehicle, when the thief, later identified as 20-year-old Tyler J Phillips, jumped into the vehicle and backed into several other vehicles before driving away from the scene.

Two minutes after the theft call-in a driver of a silver 2007 Honda was heading east on Tudor and had gotten into the left-hand turn lane to make her way onto Arctic. As the driver was waiting for the light to change, she was rear-ended by Phillips in the stolen Chevy. She got out of her vehicle after the impact, but Phillips drove off.

Then, at 12:26 pm, a driver of a green 2007 Subaru Forrester traveling southbound on Jewel Lake Road waiting to turn eastbound on Dimond Boulevard, was rear-ended by Phillips. After that crash, Phillips again drove away. He continued southbound then drove over the curb and sidewalk into a McDonalds parking lot before driving eastbound on Dimond with both airbags deployed.

Phillips continued eastbound then encountered two vehicles stopped side by side at the stoplight at the Dimond-Arlene intersection. Phillips attempted to squeeze between the two vehicles, side-swiping one on the driver’s side and getting momentarily stuck. But, Phillips broke free and drove off northbound on Arlene.

Patrol officers located the Chevy in the ditch and abandoned at Arlene and 88th.

Moments later, a homeowner on the 2400-block of Sunny Circle called in to dispatch reporting a man on his porch. Officers responded, took Phillips into custody and transported him to the department for questioning. 

After questioning, Phillips was charged with Vehicle Theft I, Theft II, two counts of Assault III, Felony Eluding, and Felony Hit and Run, APD reported. He was remanded to the Anchorage Jail on the charges.

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