The Maries County Sheriff’s office said a woman checking in on her uncle’s home in St. James, MO successfully thwarted a robbery last week.

The woman told authorities she had stopped by her uncle’s home last week to check on the residence while her uncle, a veteran, was staying in a veteran’s hospital.

As she approached the residence, she witnessed an intruder attempting to enter her uncle’s home through a back window of the house. The woman, who is a legal concealed carry permit holder, drew her weapon and ordered the intruder to stay put.

However, as the homeowner’s niece called 9-1-1, the suspect used the distraction to flee the scene.

Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the home on Highway 68 after they received a report of a burglary in progress, but found no trace of the would-be home intruder in the area.

Although no arrests have been made in the attempted home invasion, Maries County Sheriff investigators are currently following up on leads. Anyone with information about the incident can call the non-emergency line at (573) 422-3381.