A man was shot and killed in an East Anchorage apartment Saturday afternoon after an argument over stolen money, charges filed in the case said.
Santino Figueroa, 18, is facing a charge of second-degree murder tied to the shooting.
During an interview with police, Figueroa said his girlfriend had money stolen out of her wallet in a neighbor’s apartment on the 4300 block of San Ernesto Avenue earlier that day, according to a sworn affidavit written by officer Morgan Padrnos and filed with the charges. He was upset about the money and got a gun from his apartment around 1:40 p.m., the affidavit said.
When he went to the neighbor’s apartment, Figueroa told police, he argued with two men inside and then felt one of them “put a gun to his neck,” the affidavit said. Figueroa told police he saw the other man reach for a gun, so he shot him and also fired at the man who held a gun to him, it said.
The first man was shot three times and died at Providence Alaska Medical Center, the affidavit said. Police spokeswoman Shelly Wozniak said the department could not provide information about any wounds or criminal charges involving the other man due to “the nature of the ongoing investigation.”
Figueroa said he shot the man in self-defense, according to the affidavit. He appeared in court Sunday and remained in custody at the Anchorage Correctional Complex on Monday morning.
Police in a statement still posted Monday morning described the situation as a shooting investigation without updates about Figueroa’s arrest or the victim’s death. Wozniak said the community relations unit had not received an internal update about the case and therefore had not updated the statement.
Saturday’s shooting is one of three since Friday in Anchorage. Two other men were seriously wounded in separate incidents.
Police said a man was being treated for life-threatening injuries tied to a shooting on the 5000 block of Mountain View Drive around 9:30 p.m. Friday. Police received reports about a shooting and officers were notified after responding to the area that the victim had checked into a hospital, Wozniak said. No arrests had been made by Monday and the investigation is ongoing, she said.
A 25-year-old man was shot in his midsection near the 8900 block of Jewel Lake Road just before 2:30 a.m. Monday, police said. Malcolm Thomas, 25, was taken into custody after the shooting and is facing charges of first- and third-degree assault, misconduct with a weapon, reckless endangerment and tampering with evidence.
Wozniak said the department did not have updates about the status of the men wounded in shootings on Friday and Monday.
Police on Monday identified 38-year-old Avery Jackson as the man who was fatally shot on Nov. 15. Officers found him in a vehicle near East 17th Avenue and Early View Drive when they were called to the area on reports of gunfire, police said. No arrests had been made and few details had been released about the homicide investigation by Monday.
In total, 32 people have died by homicide in Anchorage so far this year.