The man driving a truck when Alaska State Troopers arrested Bret Herrick, 52, on Dec. 8 in Anchor Point has been charged with first-degree hindering prosecution, a felony. Troopers allege William R. Dalton, 35, knew that Herrick had a warrant for his arrest and had given him a ride knowing he had a warrant. Herrick is alleged in August to have kidnapped a man at gunpoint from his Skyline Drive home and forced him to get money out of a cash machine.
In charging documents, Trooper Daniel Brom, who with Trooper Sgt. Jeremy Stone arrested Herrick, wrote that Dalton was inside the Anchor River Inn Store when troopers arrested Herrick. Brom had seen Herrick in the passenger seat of a 1992 red Chevrolet pickup truck when Brom stopped by the store in his patrol car to get a snack. Dalton had already gone into the store. A records check of the truck showed it was registered to another acquaintance of Herrick, but Walton drove the truck when Herrick was arrested.
Interviewed at the Homer Jail, Herrick told Brom he had gone into the store after seeing Brom and “thanked Willie for the ride and told Willie he thinks it’s over,” Brom wrote.
Walton told troopers in December he’d known Herrick for about a month and a half and also worked for Herrick’s dad. Brom wrote that he refreshed Walton’s memory by reminding him that in August troopers had seen Walton leaving Herrick’s home on the Sterling Highway in August and contacted Walton. Like Herrick, Dalton had a shaved head and troopers initially stopped him thinking he might be Herrick.
Dalton said he recalled the incident. Interviewed on Dec. 17, Brom asked Dalton why he didn’t tell him on the night of Herrick’s arrest that he knew Herrick had a warrant for his arrest.
“I mentioned that it was written in the paper that Herrick had an outstanding warrant (in) reference (to) the incident in August and everyone talked at the bar about it,” Brom said he told Dalton. Brom wrote that Dalton told him “it was all talk,” but that he had read the newspaper and knew Herrick had a warrant. Dalton also admitted to giving Herrick a ride to the store and “stuff like that,” Brom wrote.
According to court records, Dalton has not been arrested but a warrant for his arrest has been issued. Dalton was charged in December 2001 in Maryland for obstructing justice and hindering prosecution and has a history of failing to appear in court, Brom wrote in the complaint.
Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.
