Indictments filed in crime spree case

A Kenai Grand Jury on Oct. 17 indicted two Homer men who were previously charged with burglary and theft in a spree of home and vehicle break-ins in August.

Travis K. Catron, 25, was indicted on two counts of first-degree burglary and three counts of second-degree theft. Niko E. Mogar, 27, was indicted on three counts of first-degree burglary and two counts of second-degree theft. All the charges are felonies. The theft charges include theft of a firearm.

Homer Police officers arrested the two men on suspicion of a crime spree Aug. 21-27 involving stolen cars, stolen guns, East End Road burglaries, and numerous petty thefts from vehicles in downtown Homer and on the Homer Spit. As part of the indictment, Catron had charges dismissed of first-degree burglary, second-degree theft, second-degree criminal trespass, violating conditions of release, fourth-degree theft and third-degree theft. Mogar had charges of first-degree burglary, second-degree theft and third-degree theft dismissed by the prosecution. All of the previous felony charges were submitted to the grand jury and indictments returned. The new felony cases were transferred to Kenai Superior Court.

Kenai District Attorney Scot Leaders explained in an email that when cases are consolidated like that and indictments filed, the original court cases are dismissed.

“The conduct/charges are prosecuted in the surviving case,” he wrote. “… My office understands and respects the high interest these cases have to the Homer community, and will continue to diligently do our best to prosecute the conduct in the furtherance of justice for all involved.”

A trial for Catron has been set for the week of Nov. 26. No trial date has been set for Mogar, who was also found guilty on a charge of unlawful conduct in a jury trial held last week in Homer. Mogar is in custody at Wildwood Pretrial Facility in Kenai. Catron is in supervised custody.

Reach Michael Armstrong at marmstrong@homernews.com.

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