‘That’s like you’re Satan’: After fleeing to Russia, Haines man returns to Alaska to face animal cruelty charges he denies

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – After fleeing to Russia, Steve Kroschel is back in Alaska, arrested and facing animal cruelty charges after authorities seized dozens of animals from his property. At one point, he had wolves, a porcupine, a moose, a fox, a lynx and a brown bear on his property near Haines.

“He’s currently out of custody as of yesterday,” his attorney Benjamin Dresner said. He would not say who paid the bail or why Kroschel decided to flee to Russia.

Dresner said Kroschel flew to Juneau, called police there, and turned himself in. His goal, according to his attorney, is to return home to Haines.

Kroschel owns the business Kroschel Films Wildlife Center.

Charging documents detail a pattern of neglect dating back more than a decade, citing repeated violations identified by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and veterinarians.

The complaints concern 29 animal deaths over five years, with inspectors saying animals were starving, had untreated illnesses, unsanitary conditions and inadequate diets. In charging documents, a veterinarian described the death of a porcupine as having “suffered before it starved to death.” Charging documents say at times Kroschel fed the bear “marionberry pies” and the moose “bananas”.

Charging documents also say that a USDA inspection revealed “old and dried meat residue on top of an animal enclosure. This same enclosure had an accumulation of fecal matter that was not cleaned sufficiently.”

A female bear from KFWC, originally named Kitty, but now renamed “Taiga,” was moved to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center this past July after it got hurt in a fight with a male brown bear at the Alaska Zoo where it had been relocated.

His attorney wouldn’t say why he decided to come back to Alaska now.

As for the reason he came back?

“I mean, that’s a good question. Kroschel has been attempting to come back for quite some time. There were some diplomatic hurdles that he had on the Russian side to get back over here, but he’s been working diligently to get back here since I first came onto the case,” Dresner said.

According to Dresner, “there’s been an outpouring of support” for Kroschel.

“My phone has been ringing incessantly with people who are looking to support him in any way possible and so he’s got a lot of people in his corner who want to see him get past this,” Dresner said.

Asked who the supporters are, in light of charging documents that include accusations that Kroschel was “using hot tub and pool treatment chemicals as sanitization agents for the animals drinking water,” Dresner said they were people “from the animal realm and individuals in Haines.”

Dresner said Kroschel has maintained his innocence and will continue to do so.

“If someone says that you’re cruel to animals, I mean that’s like you’re Satan then. I’m just the opposite of that for heaven’s sake,” Kroschel told Alaska’s News Source last year.

Kroschel is scheduled to appear the Juneau Courthouse on Sept. 2 at 3 p.m. for a status hearing.

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