Woman thwarts burglary attempt; two face charges
By Jeff Lehr
jlehr@joplinglobe.com
A 39-year-old woman and a male juvenile remained in custody Monday in Jasper County after being foiled in an alleged burglary attempt by a grandmother with a gun.
Lt. Aaron Richardson of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department said a 63-year-old woman, who lives on South Baker Boulevard west of Carthage, was eating lunch inside her home with a grandchild about 12:30 p.m. Friday when they spotted a woman outside.
“They saw a female walking around the house in a suspicious manner,” Richardson said.
The grandmother reportedly saw the woman signal to a male companion inside a car in the driveway, and the young man got out with a crowbar and approached the house. When he started prying open her back door, the grandmother decided to take matters into her own hands, Richardson said.
“Fearing for her life and the life of her grandchild, she withdrew into another room and retrieved a pistol,” he said.
As the boy came in the back door, the grandmother confronted him with the gun and ordered him onto the floor of the porch, Richardson said. The boy complied, he said. She ordered him to call for his accomplice, and he did, drawing the woman onto the porch, where the grandmother made her sit down while she tried to call for help, Richardson said.
When the grandmother went inside the house to get to her telephone, the would-be burglars slammed a door shut and fled, Richardson said. But the woman called 911, and provided the Sheriff’s Department with descriptions of the would-be burglars and their vehicle.
“They were taken into custody about three hours after that,” Richardson said.
Cpl. Chris Hargis and Deputy Ernest Soole located the two in a parking lot of a Carthage car dealership, where they were questioned and taken into custody.
Faith Barrick, of Carthage, and a 16-year-old boy were charged with first-degree burglary. Barrick remained in custody Monday at the Jasper County Jail, with bond set at $25,000. The juvenile was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center in Joplin.
Richardson said Barrick had contacted the Sheriff’s Department before being arrested and claimed that the two had experienced car trouble and had gone to the grandmother’s house for help. The woman confronted them with a gun, Barrick tried to tell the Sheriff’s Department.
Richardson said investigators believe Barrick thought she had to cook up a cover story because the grandmother may have gotten their license plate number and reported it. He said deputies recovered a crowbar from the defendants’ vehicle, along with some two-way radios and a pair of binoculars.
Richardson said investigators are looking into the possibility that the defendants may be responsible for other recent burglaries in the area, including one the same day in that part of the county. He said the grandmother’s actions may have provided a valuable lead to solving more than one crime.
“We’re thinking of hiring her,” Richardson joked.
Seized vehicle
Officials with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department say they asking that any residents who may have spotted a maroon Mercury Sable station wagon with Oklahoma license plates in the area of recent burglaries in the county contact them. The Sheriff’s Department may be reached at (417) 358-8177 or (417) 624-1601.
