Press Release

Timon Petla Convicted for 2016 Sexual Assault

May 12, 2017

(Anchorage, AK) – Today, an Anchorage jury found 44 year old Timon Petla guilty of sexually assaulting an incapacitated woman on a bus bench in midtown Anchorage in April 2016. The jury deliberated for two days after hearing four days of evidence. Petla was convicted of sexual assault in the second and third degree.

The testimony at trial showed that on April 16, 2016, around 3:00 p.m., a woman driving on A Street saw a man who appeared to be sexually assaulting a woman on a bus bench. The woman called 911 to report what she saw. Officers contacted the woman, who was non-responsive and unconscious. Anchorage Police Special Victims Unit Detective Jean Dupuis led the investigation, which led to the identification of the victim’s DNA on Petla. Petla was arrested by the Anchorage Police in September 2016 and has been in the custody of the Department of Corrections since then.

Superior Court Judge Jack Smith presided over the trial and scheduled sentencing for September 8, 2017. Petla faces a sentencing range of five to 15 years in prison. Petla has approximately 70 prior criminal convictions in the State of Alaska, including 13 prior assault convictions. Petla will remain in the custody of the Department of Corrections until the sentencing hearing.

CONTACT: District Attorney Clint Campion at (907) 269-6300 or clinton.campion@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.