Third suspect arrested in burglary case

The third of four people allegedly involved in a Jan. 26 burglary on North Ashley Lake Road in Kalispell has been arrested.

Ashley Akern, 26, Whitefish, already has bonded out of jail on a preliminary charge of accountability to burglary, according to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry. He was not aware of the details of her arrest other than that she had been found by deputies.

“Certainly we had been looking for her based upon her connection with that burglary,” Curry said.

Akern was one of two people sitting in a vehicle in the driveway of the North Ashley Lake Road home when its owner came home. According to a release from Curry, the homeowner approached them and they said they were looking for someone else, then left.

He then found his door smashed and allegedly saw Brandon Stanfield, 30, Kalispell — who had been released from jail less than three hours earlier — and Nathan Bayreuther, 23, Kalispell, who ran into the woods. Both were apprehended by deputies.

Curry said officers still are looking for the final person involved, a man who was in the vehicle with Akern. 

“We’re still right in the middle of this to the point where we’ve been kind of working long hours on it,” Curry said. “I’d rather not release much more for obvious reasons.”

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.