Felon Arrested after Stolen Bike/Shots Fired Incident on Gambell


Anchorage police took a female felon into custody after a shots-fired incident near 13th and Gambell on Friday evening according to APD.

A call went into APD dispatch at 6:03 PM on Friday from a father and adult son reporting that a female suspect had fired a shot at them after a short exchange over a stolen bicycle.

Using the description given by the callers, officers were able to locate the suspect running near the location, and observed her discarding items, that included a loaded handgun, but she soon stopped when surrounded by patrol vehicles.

APD said, “She was escorted to the ground and placed into handcuffs,” but was screaming and uncooperative.

The woman would refuse to identify herself but was positively identified through fingerprints as 47-year-old Rhonda R. Rice. APD would find that she had absconded after cutting off her ankle monitor and further found she was a convicted felon barred from firearm possession.

The callers stated to police that they were in the area looking for a stolen bike when they came upon Rice riding the bike they were looking for. The two men got out of their vehicle and confronted Rice about the bike but she initially refused to relinquish it. It wasn’t until one of the men pulled out his cell phone and threatened to call the police that Rice turned over the stolen bicycle.

The men loaded the bike into their vehicle and began driving off. It was then that Rice produced a handgun and fired a round into the air. The men drove to a parking lot at 15th and Gambell and called in to report the incident.

See also  Arctic Tundra Has Turned From 'Carbon Sink to Carbon Source' in Dangerous Flip: NOAA

When arrested, Rice told the officers she was injured and so was taken to a local hospital. Once medically cleared Rice was transported to the Hiland Correctional Facility and remanded on her outstanding warrant.

“She was additionally charged with Theft II, two counts of Assault III, Escape III, Misconduct Involving a Weapon IV – Firing Recklessly, Misconduct Involving a Weapon III – Felon in Possession, and Resisting,” the report stated.