Sean Ahmed Charged in Bike Trail Assault Investigations

On July 24, 2023, a citizen contacted APD Dispatch to report that he and another person had been walking on the trail near the Basher Drive Trailhead (9001 Basher Drive) the day before, at about 4:30 PM, when they were confronted by an adult male.  The male suspect yelled threats and threw rocks at them.  There were no injuries (APD Case 23-23673).

On July 24th at 8:20 PM, a citizen called APD Dispatch to report that he and his wife had been walking on the trail on the 4500-block of Campbell Airstrip Road when they were confronted by an adult male who was armed with a stick.  The male suspect hit the adult female with the stick and then threw a large rock which struck the adult male victim in the upper body causing pain and a minor laceration.  Officers responded but were unable to locate the suspect (APD Case 23-23757).

On July 25th at 6:28 PM Officers were dispatched to the area of Martin Luther King Drive and Elmore Road in reference to an assault. Two hikers were walking a trail in the area when an adult male passed by them.  The male suspect yelled something unintelligible at them and then proceeded to punch one of the hikers in the upper body which caused the hiker pain. When officers arrived, the suspect was no longer in the area.  The victim hiker declined medics (APD Case 23-23858).

On July 26th at 7:34 AM APD Dispatch was notified that an adult male was walking westbound on the Campbell Creek Trail, near E International Airport Road and the Old Seward Highway, when an adult male punched the walker in the upper body as the walker was passing by.  Officers responded but were unable to locate the suspect (APD Case 23-24327).  

On July 26th at 5:38 PM APD officers were dispatched to the Basher Drive Trailhead in reference to an assault. An adult female was walking on the trail when she was grabbed by an adult male who shook her and then threw her to the ground while yelling something unintelligible.  The suspect left; the victim declined to be seen by medics.  Officers responded but were unable to locate the suspect (APD incident 232070612).

On July 27th at 1:30 PM, two hikers were encountered by an adult male who had threatened them verbally while holding an axe over his head (there were no injuries).  When one of the victims returned to his vehicle in the parking lot, he discovered the front tires had been slashed.  The incident was reported to police a few hours after it had occurred (APD Case 23-24186).  

On July 27th at 6:52 PM, a citizen called APD Dispatch to report that she and her daughter were walking on the trail system near 36th Avenue and Muldoon Road when they were approached by an adult male who attempted to punch the mother.  The mother was able to deflect the punch with her hand but she fell down in the process.  Upon seeing this, the daughter pushed the suspect to the ground.  The suspect got up and ran away.  Police were unable to locate him (APD Case 23-24326).

On July 28th at 3:49 PM a citizen called in to APD Dispatch to report a verbal argument they had overheard wherein an adult male was yelling that he was going to cause harm to another person.  The citizen was able to provide a description of the yelling suspect which matched the physical description given of the suspect in other trail assaults (APD Case 23-24294). 

A swing shift patrol officer was the first to arrive at the Basher Drive Trailhead.  When he pulled up, the officer saw the suspect on the trail a short distance away. Upon seeing the officer, the suspect walked away into the woods.  Once backup units arrived, the officers located the suspect lying down in the trees; he was detained without further incident.

Through the subsequent investigation, officers developed probable cause to charge 38-year-old Sean U. Ahmed with two counts of assault for each of the two incidents that occurred on July 27th; he was remanded at the Anchorage Jail on those charges.  The investigations into the other assault allegations are still underway and more charges may be forthcoming.

Officers assigned to the Community Action Policing Team (CAP) had been out on the trails actively looking for the suspect when the call came in on July 28th.  They responded as backup units along with other swing shift patrol officers.

Anyone who believes they may have been assaulted by this same suspect, but have not yet reported it to police, are asked to do so by calling APD Dispatch at 3-1-1 (option #1) or 907-786-8900 (option #0).