Troopers recover stolen Durango sold for parts at Fairbanks home

A stolen 2017 Dodge Durango turned up heavily dismantled at a Fairbanks home after its parts were listed for sale online, Alaska State Troopers said.

Troopers recovered the SUV on Wednesday at a Charlotte Lane residence and confirmed its VIN matched a vehicle reported stolen. They contacted the seller, Dustin Deals, 37, of Fairbanks, who gave conflicting accounts of how the Durango ended up on his property and acknowledged selling parts from it without notifying the owner or law enforcement, troopers said.

Deals was arrested and taken to Fairbanks Correctional Center on charges of second-degree theft and third-degree criminal mischief. The charges are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Vehicle theft is a persistent problem in Alaska: the state's most recent Crime in Alaska report counted 1,817 vehicles stolen in a year. Owners can check the Department of Public Safety's stolen-vehicle hot sheet, updated nightly.