Press Release

Jesse Horwitz Convicted of Three Counts of Vehicle Theft and Eluding Police

April 17, 2017

(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) Today, an Anchorage jury found 38 year old Jesse Horwitz guilty of three counts of vehicle theft in the first degree following a week-long trial. The jury also found Horwitz guilty of first degree failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer.

According to the evidence presented at trial, a woman contacted Anchorage Police on the morning of December 7, 2017, to report that her Mercedes SUV had been stolen from the parking lot of a midtown restaurant. Anchorage Police located the vehicle later within hours in the driveway of a residence in the Oceanview neighborhood. As officers approached, Horwitz jumped over a fence and ran from them. As officers searched the area, Horwitz found a taxi parked in the driveway of another residence and started to drive away, until the cab driver chased him off. A K9 unit eventually located Horwitz hiding in the South Side Grill.

Horwitz was released on bail later in December. On February 2, 2017, a woman called 911 to report that her Ford F-150 had been stolen from the parking lot of a midtown insurance office. Anchorage Police found the vehicle with Horwitz inside in a subdivision off the Old Seward Highway. As the officers attempted to surround him, Horwitz put the truck in reverse and rammed the police cars until his the truck was forced into a snowbank. Horwitz then got out of the truck and led officers on a brief foot pursuit before being taken into custody.

Superior Court Judge Jack Smith, who presided over the trial, scheduled Horwitz's sentencing for July 7, 2017. Horwitz faces a probationary sentence on each count.

CONTACT: Assistant District Attorney James Klugman at (907) 269-6300 or james.klugman@alaska.gov. More information about the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office is available at http://www.law.alaska.gov/department/criminal/adao.html.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.