1 dead, 1 wounded in stabbing at Midtown apartment complex

Anchorage police have arrested a man they say fatally stabbed another man and wounded a woman early Thursday evening at an apartment complex in Midtown.

In a statement, police said Tonise P. Salevao, 20, faces murder charges in the stabbing, on the 400 block of West Northern Lights Boulevard just west of C Street. Police responded to the scene at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

The male victim was declared dead at the scene, police said. The female victim was taken to a hospital with what police described as life-threatening injuries.

Police spokeswoman Renee Oistad said the victims will not be named this week as officers investigate the incident.

According to charging documents against Salevao, Salevao and the victims lived with two other people in the same apartment at the complex. Police found at least four knives at the scene, with blood in all rooms of the apartment.

When police arrived a man with a gun had detained Salevao, whose clothing “was soaked in blood,” police said in the charging document.

“Detectives talked to Salevao’s mother who said Salevao had been paranoid about the mafia and had been sleeping with knives under his pillow,” police said. “She also indicated he was hiding knives in the house. She said she knew Salevao had used heroin in the past.”

One of the apartment’s residents told police she had been in her room when she heard screaming, with no argument beforehand. When she opened the door, she said she saw both victims on the floor as Salevao attacked them, the charges say.

Officers who accompanied the injured woman to the hospital said she had suffered three stab wounds to her neck, and that her nose “was nearly cut off” in the attack.

When police spoke with Salevao, he allegedly claimed the stabbing was an act of self-defense.

“He said there are tunnels underneath the kitchen and that he argued with (the man) about the tunnels,” police said in the charges.

Police said Salevao told them that during the fight, the man had struck his arm with a butcher knife while the woman hit his leg.

“Detectives did not observe any injuries on Salevao’s arms,” police said.

After detectives spoke with Salevao at police headquarters, he was arrested on one first-degree count each of murder, attempted murder and assault, plus two counts of second-degree murder. He was held at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.