Crime calls up at Third and Ingra homeless encampment

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - For the past week, Anchorage police have been busy responding to a number of incidents at the homeless encampment located at East Third Avenue and Ingra Street. Those calls include alleged kidnapping and many cases apparently involving weapons.

Since Thursday, Anchorage police have responded to at least eight calls that are listed as involving weapons. One of those calls was initially reported as a kidnapping — though it turned out to be a medical emergency instead. There were also theft and warrant-related calls.

One of the people living at the encampment says this type of violent behavior is nothing new at Third and Ingra.

“I don’t know, people will be on just a lot of evil things out here,” Eiden Hernandez said. “People will just like, a lot of times I see a lot of things where people will go and hurt someone when they’re not doing nothing wrong. “

“Sometimes people will just be walking, and they’ll just get beat up for no reason. It’s kind of, you kind of just get numb to being and just seeing all this stuff out here, for real.”

Residents and business owners in the area say the number of people living in the camp continues to grow and that adds to the number of cars and trucks — and other property that’s being stored at the site as well.

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