Anchorage police say they have arrested three teens in the ongoing robbery investigations of the Carrs in Eagle River and Country Valley Store in Palmer and expect further arrests and charges in additional armed robberies in the Anchorage and Mat-Su areas.

At 11:38 pm on August 24th, Anchorage police responded to the Carrs in Eagle River after a report of an armed robbery that just took place there. The initial investigation revealed that two men entered the store wearing masks and one of the  suspects pulled a handgun and pointed it at a cashier working one of the stands. He demanded the money from the till and the clerk complied. After receiving that cash he demanded that the clerk go to the customer service desk and open that register as well, which she did. After the robber emptied that till both suspects went to the tobacco cabinet and forced it open and stole cigars before fleeing the store on foot.

Police would soon find out that Palmer police and troopers had responded to, and were investigating, a similar robbery at the Valley Country Store on North Trunk Road. A joint investigation was performed. This robbery occurred less than an hour prior, at 10:46 pm, and the robbery had similar suspect descriptions and robbery method.

The investigation developed three suspects in the robberies, identifying them as Sephan Allen, age 19, Garret Gantner, age 18, and a juvenile.

On the 27th, APD’s Investigative Support Unit received information that Allen was driving in an Eagle River residential area and he was pulled over and contacted there. After questioning at the department, Allen was remanded to the Anchorage Jail on his felony Robbery I/Assault III  arrest warrant.

The following day Alaska State Troopers Criminal Suppression Unit (CSU) made contact with 19-year-old Allen transported him to APD where he was questioned as well. Allen would be remanded as well on charges of Robbery I, Assault III, and Theft III for his role in the Valley Country Store robbery.

On Saturday the juvenile contacted APD and informed them he would like to turn himself in. Officers went to his residence and took him into custody. After APD questioning, he was turned over to the McLaughlin Youth Center and charges were forwarded to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

The joint investigation by the FBI, AST, and APD believes that the three suspects may be involved in additional armed robberies that occurred between Mat-Su and Anchorage in the last few weeks. They say that, “Additional charges and arrests are possible as the investigations continue.”

  armed robbery, carrs, country, eagle river, garrett gantner, juvenile, palmer, sephan allen, store, valley