A 26-year-old man faces multiple charges after police said he broke into a Midtown grocery store and almost got away with more than $500 of items, which store owners said included black squid hair dye and Korean pears.
Security surveillance footage caught at 5:19 a.m. Saturday a man in a hooded sweatshirt, whom Anchorage police later identified as Eric Thomas Peters, peering into the glass doors of New Central Market on Northern Lights Boulevard.
Footage shows Peters tried several times to break the glass using a cement block. One of the attempts landed the brick within inches of his foot. He broke through a second door and, once inside, began collecting items in an apparently leisurely manner.
In about 20 minutes, police say he collected a box of ramen, cigarette packs, Korean pears, specialty cakes, energy drinks and black squid hair dye.
The footage also showed him eying the store’s knife collection.
He didn’t get to leave the store with his armful of goods, however.
Someone had called police shortly after the break-in, and officers arrived during the spree. The footage shows they waited outside for him.
Police said Peters was likely under the influence of alcohol.
He was charged with second-degree theft, third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree burglary.