The Phelps County Sheriff’s Department is currently looking for a suspect after a St. James resident fought off an intruder on Thursday, July 22. Officers from the St. James Police Department and deputies from the Sheriff’s Department responded to the incident, but the intruder was already away from the premises when they arrived.

According to a press release submitted by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, “In the early morning hours on July 22, 2010, an unknown male entered a rural St. James residence through an open window. The residence, located in the 18000 block of State Route DD, was occupied at the time and the male resident woke to noises. When he entered another room he confronted the intruder. A fight ensued; after which, the intruder eventually escaped running East on State Route DD.” Law enforcement were unable to find the intruder following notification of the incident and the Sheriff’s Department is asking for help in identifying the suspect.

“The intruder is described as a white male in his early- to mid-20s. He has dark hair cut in a Mohawk. He has dark eyes and may have fresh facial wounds from the altercation. He is about 5’10” to 6’0” tall and of slender build. He was last seen wearing a hoodie.”

Detective Andy Davis of the Sheriff’s Department added that the case is “still the same” as the day it occurred. “We’ve been working to identify the suspect. We’ve received a number of phone calls, but nothing has panned out. We have sent the description to Crawford and Dent counties as well due to where it (the incident) occurred.”

He explained that it is suspected that the intruder may have gone into a different county following his departure from the scene and the department wants to get the local counties involved in the search. The only item missing from the household was a Remington 12-gauge, pump-action shotgun with a “Realtree Harwoods” camouflage color stock.

If you have any knowledge of who the intruder may be or recognize someone matching the description, contact the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department at 573-426-3860 or by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For an anonymous tips line, call 573-429-2936.