James Gregory Mix, 32, of Elkton was charged with felony first-degree burglary-occupied dwelling, gross misdemeanor obstruct legal process-interfere with peace officer and misdemeanor theft-take/use/transfer movable property without consent on Friday in Mower County District Court.

According to the court complaint, deputies were dispatched to the 200 block of North Adams Street in Elkton at 12:07 a.m. on Aug. 15 regarding a residential burglary in progress. The victim reported that a man had entered his residence without his permission.

The victim said his dog alerted him and that he heard rustling from inside his garage when he went to let his dog out. He opened the service door and saw a man standing in his garage. The victim tried to lock the service door and was able to turn the deadbolt despite the man holding the doorknob from the outside.

The victim then retrieved his shotgun when he heard a noise at the front door. He went to the living room and found the man inside holding a softball hitting stick he had taken from the garage. The victim pointed the shotgun at him and the man fled after a verbal exchange. An adult female was present at the house, as was a minor female, who was able to get a short video and digital image of the suspect.

The victim believed he recognized the suspect as an individual who lived in a yellow house “by the apartments.”

The Austin Police Department K-9 was called in. The canine tracked fresh footprints through wet grass heading southbound over First East Street and into backyards. The canine tracked east towards a yellow residence when he stopped pulling, indicating he was no longer on the track. The residence was located in the 100 block of Center Street South and belonged to Mix, who matched the suspect in the video.

Deputies established a perimeter around the residence and attempted to make contact with Mix, who did not respond even though lights were on in the house. Deputies then obtained a search warrant, entered the residence and found Mix asleep in a bedroom. Deputies warned Mix multiple times to show his hands, but he did not comply and remained under the covers. He then sat up, but did not show his hands and was pepper sprayed and grabbed by deputies. He resisted arrest and a taser was used to get him to comply.

Deputies located a pair of jeans and a black shirt that matched the clothing the suspect wore in the video. They located a pair of black shoes with fresh wet grass that also matched the shoes worn by the suspect in the video. The softball hitting stick taken from the victims’ garage was found in the victims’ driveway.

A detective spoke to Mix several hours later at the Mower County Jail. Mix indicated he had been drinking and had no recollection about the night until he woke up in jail, nor did he know anything about the stick he had in his hand during the incident. He said he believed he had a problem with alcohol and expressed remorse for the incident.

Mix will appear in court again on Aug. 29.