Charges have been filed against Darrell D. Rollins after he broke into a home and stole clothing, food and $4,500 in cash.
Rollins has been charged with one count of burglary in the first degree, a class B felony, and one count of criminal trespassing in the second degree, a class B misdemeanor.
Rollins, a resident of Cordova, made a forced entry into a home around 12 p.m. on Feb. 19. Upon finding Rollins in the home, a resident chased him from the residence.
Cordova Police found him a short distance away in a storage shed in a neighbor’s yard, said Police Chief Mike Hicks.
Rollins was arrested and bail set at $2,500. When he could not make bail he transferred to the Cook Inlet Pretrial Facility in Anchorage.
The Cordova Police Department is still investigating for other potential suspects, said Hicks.
“It’s not uncommon for it to happen during the day, because they know nobody is home,” Hicks said.
Hicks recommends residents copy serial numbers for valuable items, such as firearms and electronics, including cameras and computers. He also suggests installing security or camera systems which could aid police in the event of a crime.
As news of the break in swirled around social media, pleas for action followed.
Becki Shipman, who served with Cordova EMS starting in 2005, created community dialogue and gave a platform for people to discuss safety in the community.
“I started the page out of frustration a couple years ago,” Shipman said of the Facebook group, Cordova Neighborhood Watch, which now has 824 members and counting.
Shipman has seen changes in the community since her arrival in 1979. Through those changes, she wanted to bring back a way for the community to become involved and aware, helping the CPD, as they are currently understaffed.
Last week’s events sparked the conversation again and helped elevate the Facebook group.
People began asking how they can become involved, sharing thanks and offering suggestions on ways to improve Cordova’s safety.
Shipman said that Duke Anderson is an integral part of the group and that he contacted the Alaska State Troopers to bridge the gap on protecting property within and outside of city limits.
Shipman asks people to directly message her via her personal Facebook page or through the Cordova Neighborhood Watch direct message.
If information or details about a crime or investigation get shared publically, some folks may interfere with an investigation and cause more damage, she said.
“If they see something that’s suspicious that isn’t urgent or are afraid, they can message me,” she said. Shipman suggests that those planning to be out of town let her know the dates they will be gone, so the group can provide extra eyes and ears for that neighborhood.
Shipman has been working directly with Hicks to create a neighborhood watch group, which she hopes will meet once a month.
“The whole idea is to document, photograph and call it in to the police department and possibly become a witness if it goes to trial,” she said. Their mission would be simply to supply valuable information and observations to Hicks and his department, who would then carry out further action.
