The Anchorage Fire Department has released a surveillance-video image of a suspect in last month's burglary and arson at a Midtown coffee stand, and is asking for aid in identifying the person it depicts.
According to AFD spokesperson Al Tamagni Jr., investigators now believe the fire that left the interior of the Sugar Shack Espresso stand at the corner of 37th Avenue and Lake Otis Parkway a total loss was intentionally set. The timestamp on the image of a white male inside the stand -- dated 2:25 a.m. on May 22 -- is inherently suspicious.
"They're considering him a suspect," Tamagni said. "If you look at the timestamp on the video, the reason should be pretty self-evident -- not many of these places are open that early."
AFD crews were called to the stand just after 4 a.m. on May 22, where they discovered that its southern window was apparently broken out. Goods from shelves were found strewn on the floor, implying the business had been ransacked before the blaze.
Tamagni says no links have been made between the suspect shown in the Sugar Shack video and the May 11 fire at the Sunrise Grill and Pancake House, at 8201 Old Seward Hwy. Fire officials believe that restaurant was also burglarized before it burned.
Anyone with information on the suspect or the fire is asked to call AFD's arson hotline at 267-5060 or Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP.
Contact Chris Klint