The Alaska State Troopers received a stalking complaint from an adult female on April 5th.
During the investigation, Joel Pilgrim, age 41, of Ketchikan, was identified as a suspect, and the adult female obtained a domestic violence protective order (DVPO) against Pilgrim.
On May 2, 2024, Pilgrim was arrested and remanded at the Ketchikan Correctional Center for multiple DVPO violations. Pilgrim posted bail, was released from custody, and was placed on electronic monitoring.
“On May 8th, troopers were notified that Pilgram had cut and removed his electronic monitoring device and had fled the state of Alaska,” said Alaska State Troopers Communications Director Austin McDaniel. “We sought an arrest warrant for Pilgrm, and our investigation revealed that Pilgram was in Bellingham, Washington.”
AST contacted the Bellingham Police Department (BPD) and requested assistance with the arrest of Pilgrim.
BPD located Pilgrim and attempted to make an arrest, at which time Pilgrim led both BPD and the Washington State Patrol on a high-speed pursuit, which was ultimately terminated due to public safety concerns.
“And ultimately, on May 30th, the Porter County Sheriff’s Office located Pilgrim in Valparaiso, Indiana, and he was arrested on that active warrant for the charge of Escape in the 3rd Degree. And there could be additional criminal charges against Pilgrim, which are expected as the investigation continues,” said McDaniel.
AST would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance in apprehending Pilgrim: Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Alaska Department of Corrections Pretrial Services, Ketchikan District Attorney’s Office, Bellingham WA Police Department, Washington State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Reno NV Police Department, Wyoming Highway Patrol, Colorado Fusion Center, Porter County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana.