Ruben Musgrove and Samantha Albert arrested; four stolen vehicles were recovered.

At 10:34 AM on November 1, 2021, Anchorage Police responded to a residential burglary on the 1800-block of Otter Street.  The suspect(s) had forced entry through the locked front door and stole a 2006 blue BMW SUV from the garage.

At 8:00 AM on February 4, 2022, a gray 2008 Honda Pilot was reported as stolen to APD. The unoccupied vehicle was unlocked and running with the keys in the ignition at the time it was taken from outside a residence on the 3100-block of W 34th Avenue.

At 4:30 AM on March 3, 2022, a mid-shift patrol sergeant saw a 1994 beige Nissan Pathfinder stopped for the red light at W 36th Avenue and C Street.  The sergeant was travelling in the opposite direction, and noticed that when the traffic light turned green, the Nissan didn’t move.  As the sergeant passed by the Pathfinder, he noticed the Nissan’s driver appeared to be passed out in the driver’s seat.  The sergeant turned around in traffic; as he was driving towards the Nissan, the Nissan’s driver drove through the traffic light which had cycled back to red at that point. The Nissan’s driver changed lanes in the middle of the intersection and nearly drove up onto the sidewalk.

The sergeant initiated a traffic stop by turning on his patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and siren.  The Nissan’s driver began to elude.  The sergeant terminated the pursuit when the suspect driver ran the red light on Arctic Boulevard at a high rate of speed.

A few hours later, at 8:21 AM on March 3rd, Anchorage Police responded to a residence on the 2400-block of Sprucewood Street regarding the same 1994 beige Nissan Pathfinder. The complainant stated his Pathfinder had been stolen from his residence the day before, but he wasn’t aware of the theft until that morning at which time he called police.  The same sergeant involved in the eluding incident that morning also responded to the scene. He concluded the person reporting the vehicle as stolen was not the same person who had been driving the vehicle a few hours prior.

At 4:22 PM on March 11, 2022, Anchorage Police responded to the 3800-block of Iowa Drive regarding suspicious people involved in a disturbance.  The citizen caller told APD Dispatch he thought it was the same group of people involved in stealing things from the neighborhood.  When officers arrived on scene, they saw a 2019 white Lincoln Nautilus with a male driver inside.  He was later identified as 34-year-old Ruben M. Musgrove. The officers also saw a female, later identified as 28-year-old Samantha S. Albert, get out of a Honda Pilot, and jump into the Lincoln with Ruben.  Ruben began to drive away in a reckless manner.  The responding officers activated their vehicles’ emergency lights, and they followed the Lincoln.

The officers initiated a vehicle block on the Lincoln.  Ruben tried to drive out of the block by backing up into one of the patrol cars.  The officers tightened up the block making it impossible for Ruben to drive away.  Ruben exited the vehicle and fled on foot.  Officers gave chase and caught Ruben on the 3800-block of Iowa Street. 

Prior to Ruben running from the vehicle, Samantha climbed out of the sunroof of the Lincoln while it was still in motion.  She began screaming at the officers and acted like she was holding a gun even though nothing was in her hands. Once the Lincoln was at a stop, and Ruben had run from the scene, Samantha jumped into the driver’s seat of the Lincoln and tried to drive away.  An officer gave Samantha multiple commands which she ignored.  The officer went hands-on with Samantha while she was still pressing down on the Lincoln’s gas pedal.  A physical struggle ensued during which Samantha tried to bite the officer.  Samantha quit fighting when the officer took his Taser out of his holster.  Samantha continued to be uncooperative, but she was eventually removed from the Lincoln and taken into custody.

A computer check of the Honda Pilot Samantha had originally been in showed the vehicle had been reported as stolen back in February.  A search of the Lincoln produced a handgun in the passenger seat.  Officers conducted a computer check of the Lincoln and found that it was a rental vehicle.  Officers spoke to the vehicle rental company, and through that conversation it was determined the Lincoln had been stolen.

On the 3800-block of Iowa Street where Ruben was taken into custody, officers found the BMW stolen in the November 2021 residential burglary and the Nissan Pathfinder that had been stolen eight days prior from Sprucewood Street.  Those vehicles were processed, and the owners were notified.

Both Samantha and Ruben were transported to APD for questioning by detectives.  Afterwards Samantha Albert was remanded at Hiland Correctional on the charges of Misconduct Involving a Weapon III – Felon in Possession, Vehicle Theft I, Resisting, Theft I, and Criminal Mischief III.

Ruben Musgrove was remanded at the Anchorage Jail on his four outstanding warrants.  He was additionally charged with Misconduct Involving a Weapon III – Felon in Possession, Vehicle Theft I, Theft I, and Criminal Mischief III.  During processing, Correctional Officers found a substance on Musgrove’s person that field-tested positive for meth.  Musgrove was charged with Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance IV.

There have been no charges filed in the Otter Street burglary.  That investigation remains open.

APD Cases 21-35449, 22-3888, 22- 6972, 22-6986 and 22-8003.

For information on how to obtain the criminal history of any Alaskan, you may do so online via Court View on the State’s website.