An Anchorage Police Department Impaired Driving Enforcement officer arrested a man passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle parked on the side of the road near 13th Avenue and Ingra Street over the weekend and took him into custody on several charges as well as multiple warrants APD reported.

The IDEU officer was informed of the vehicle and driver by a citizen as he was actively on another traffic stop. The officer said that he had seen that vehicle as he was pulling over another driver.

The actions leading up to the arrest of the intoxicated driver began just over a half-hour earlier at an address on the 2400-block of Bentzen Circle when 44-year-old Miguel Zavala showed up under the influence at a residence where his girlfriend was visiting at her friend’s home.

Zavala’s girlfriend and her friend were preparing food when Zavala arrived and an argument ensued where the girlfriend left. Zavala asked the victim if she would give him a ride the victim told police when contacted. She reported that as she was giving Zavala a ride, he assaulted and threatened her and told her to get out of the vehicle at the intersection of Northwood and Aspen Drive. She complied with his demands and walked home only to find that he apparently returned and threw food and items about the home. The victim related the incident to her boyfriend over the phone, who in turn called APD at 12:40 am. The boyfriend also reported the victim’s red Toyota SUV had been stolen by the suspect.

Five minutes prior to receiving the report from the victim’s boyfriend, another caller had contacted APD dispatch to report that they had been side-swiped on A Street between 13th and 15th Avenues while traveling northbound by a red SUV also traveling northbound. 

The investigation by the IDEU officer at the scene of the sleeping Zavalla would determine that the vehicle was the one reported stolen seven minutes before. The officer observed the damage incurred in the reported accident that was called in just 12 minutes earlier.

Zavala woke up as backup officers were arriving to assist, and alcohol could be smelled on his person and he displayed signs of intoxication, police said. After refusing field sobriety testing, Zavala was handcuffed and transported to the Anchorage Jail for processing. At the jail, Zavala became verbally abusive and refused to give a breath sample.

A search warrant was requested and received and a blood sample was taken from the suspect.

Zavala was remanded to the jail on two outstanding felony warrants and “additionally charged with Robbery II, Theft II, Vehicle Theft I, Assault IV, Operating under the Influence, Refusal, and Leaving the Scene of an Accident,” APD revealed.

  13th, 15th, accident collision, Anchorage, assault, dui, ideu, ingra, investigation, miguel zavala, stop, theft, vehicle, warrants