Another arrest, more charges filed in double-shooting incident

Juneau Police have charged two other suspects who they believe were involved in last Friday’s gunplay that included a rolling shootout on Egan Drive.

Kenneth Ketah, Jr., 33, is being charged with nine felonies, including misconduct involving weapons for felon in possession of a firearm and use in a drug crime, assault, possession of a controlled substance, and tampering with physical evidence. He was arraigned in Juneau District Court on Thursday.

Steven “Chunk” Thomas, 32, is being charged with five felonies including misconduct involving weapons for felon in possession of a firearm and misconduct involving a weapon that was used in a drug crime. The warrant for his arrest was set at $50,000.

Ketah and Thomas are believed by investigators to have shot at Jerall Torres, 24, and Amanda Phillips, 26, while driving northbound along Egan Drive past Vanderbilt Hill Road near the landfill between 4:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. on December 6.

Thomas was allegedly driving a silver Dodge Intrepid with Ketah as a passenger when they pulled up to a green Dodge Neon that was occupied by Torres and Phillips. Torres reported seeing muzzle flashes and heard as many as six gunshots. Torres told investigators that he rolled down his window and returned fire with three or four gunshots.

The rolling gunfight apparently occurred shortly after a meeting between Phillips and Ketah at the Breakwater Inn where Ketah allegedly threatened to kill Torres. The meeting took place after another alleged shooting involving Torres that occurred earlier in the morning at the Coho Apartments. James Depasquale, 44, who was injured during the confrontration, was apparently upset with Torres’ failure to sell heroin or turn over the cash proceeds from previous sales.

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