On Monday evening, at about 8:05 pm, the Alaska State Troopers received a call from a homeowner from Nenana, who was out of town for work, that he had gotten a call from his neighbor someone had been at his house.

The neighbor told the caller that he had concerns “after witnessing 41-year-old Nenana resident Ronald Campbell retreating from the homeowner’s residence,” according to the report.

Because of recent thefts and burglaries in the area, the trooper responded covertly in order not to spook any suspects. The officer spoke with the witness and then tracked footsteps in the snow leading to the residence and a kitchen window. Troopers called the homeowner who then gave permission to enter the home and investigate. The investigation would find that the suspect had broken into a gun cabinet and stole two handguns and ammo. Troopers saw several other long guns still in the cabinet and thought that perhaps Campbell would return for them later.

Troopers decided to stay at the residence for the night with the homeowner’s permission, to see if the suspect would return for the remaining firearms. And seven hours later, Campbell would do just that. When he broke in a second time through the kitchen window, waiting troopers took him into custody. When arrested, Campbell had in his possession, “2 axes, a large knife, a backpack with tools, and a drill with drill bits.”

After Campbell’s arrest troopers retraced his footprints for a half-mile through the snow and found Campbell’s residence. After a search warrant was obtained, troopers entered the residence. Once inside troopers would find “both stolen handguns, the stolen ammunition, and additional weapons including handguns, shotguns, rifles, and prohibited weapons including a sawed-off shotgun, and a prohibited homemade suppressor,” troopers reported.

The investigation would find that Campbell had been convicted of multiple felonies previously and so was prohibited from possessing certain firearms.

Campbell was charged with Burglary I, two counts of Theft II, Theft IV, Criminal Mischief III, three counts of Misconduct Involving a Weapon III, and Possession of Burglary Tools. He was transported to Fairbanks and remanded to the Fairbanks  Correctional Center on the charges.

  burglary, campbell, firearms, Nenana, ronald