Anchorage police arrest suspect in woman’s Mountain View murder

Joshua Oktoyak
Anchorage police have arrested Joshua J. Oktoyak, 34, in a woman’s July 12, 2023 Mountain View murder. (From APD)

Update, 7:30 a.m. Thursday:

Anchorage police have arrested a man wanted in a woman’s Mountain View murder earlier this month.

Officers spotted Joshua J. Oktoyak walking along East Tudor Road at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night, according to a police statement. He was taken into custody on an arrest warrant for first-degree and second-degree murder.

Oktoyak is being held at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.

Original story:

Anchorage police are looking for a man accused of murdering a woman at a Mountain View home earlier this month, in an act of domestic violence.

Joshua J. Oktoyak, 34, is wanted on charges of first-degree and second-degree murder in the woman’s death, police said in a Wednesday statement. Officers found her body July 12 in a home on the 700 block of North Flower Street. Police say their initial investigation discovered that foul play was involved.

“It was later determined that her death was a homicide,” police said in the statement. “Through the investigation, (Oktoyak) was identified as the suspect.”

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Oktoyak on Tuesday.

APD spokeswoman Renee Oistad declined to answer further questions about the case Wednesday and said police are not naming the victim because it’s a domestic violence case.

Police say Oktoyak stands 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighs 230 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. Investigators urge anyone who sees him not to contact him, and instead call police at 311 or submit an anonymous tip at the Anchorage Crime Stoppers website.

a portrait of a man outside

Chris Klint is a web producer and breaking news reporter at Alaska Public Media. Reach him atcklint@alaskapublic.org.Read more about Chrishere.

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