Eagle River man indicted for assault and kidnapping

On Aug. 15, Justin Schneider, 33, was indicted on four felony charges for kidnapping and assaulting a woman in Spenard, on Aug. 8, according to an APD Nixle alert.

According to the charging documents, on Aug. 8, the suspect introduced himself to the victim as "Dan," and tried to convince her that they were acquaintances. After talking for a while, the suspect offered the victim a ride from the Holiday station – their current location – to her boyfriend's house in the Muldoon area.

She agreed; however, the suspect did not take the victim to her requested destination, according to court records. Instead, the suspect proceeded to assault the victim by strangulation, along 36th Avenue and Wisconsin Street.

According to the records, the victim lost consciousness for a period of time. But when the victim regained consciousness, she alleged that the suspect was just finishing sexually pleasuring himself over her body.

When the suspect left the scene of the crime for work, the victim then called police to report the crime and the suspect's plate number. And when police ran the plate through the system, registration showed that it was owned by Schneider, according to the charging documents. They then presented Schneider's DMV photo to the victim in a "double-blind" photo lineup.

After the victim identified Schneider as her attacker, the document states that she told police, "You don't forget the face of the man who almost killed you."

If convicted of kidnapping, Schneider faces a prison sentence between five to 99 years; however, APD spokesperson, MJ Thim, also reminds the public that the charges are "allegations and are not evidence of guilt."

"The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial, at which the prosecution must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," added Thim.

That trial is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 6, before Superior Court Judge Michael Corey. But until then, the Eagle River man will remain on house arrest with an ankle monitor.

According to Anchorage District Attorney Clinton Campion, "Bail was set at $30,000, and the court approved a third party custodian as well as electronic monitoring."

Around 1 p.m., on Aug. 8, Anchorage police located a female victim, who suffered strangulation and assault, in the area of 36th Avenue and Wisconsin Street. She was then transported to the emergency room for treatment, according to an APD Nixle alert.

According to the preliminary investigation, the male suspect offered the victim a ride near Minnesota Drive and Spenard Road. According to APD, "The victim didn’t know the suspect."

APD spokesperson, MJ Thim, said the victim accepted the ride; however, the suspect did not take the victim to her requested location. Instead, the suspect drove to the area of 36th Avenue and Wisconsin Street, and then ordered the victim to exit the vehicle.

When the victim began walking away, the preliminary investigation found that the suspect then "tackled her, got on top of her, grabbed her neck with both hands to strangle her and told her he was going to kill her," according to an APD Nixle alert.

Thim reported that the victim was strangled, "until she went unconscious." And while the victim was unconscious, the preliminary investigation found that the suspect "did things sexually to himself."

Following the assault, the suspect left the victim at the scene, when he drove to work.

According to the text alert, the suspect works as an air traffic controller at the Ted Stevens International Airport.

Anchorage police identified the suspect as 33-year-old Justin Schneider, and officers took him into custody Tuesday evening.

Schneider faces charges of 2nd Degree Assault, 3rd Degree Assault and 1st Degree Harassment, according to APD.

If you have any information, regarding this incident or if Schneider assaulted anyone else, APD asks that you contact dispatchers at (907) 786-8900.