Hempstead County deputies responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress at a residence on County Road 31 near McCaskill at approximately 7:45 Am. The caller a female stated that she arrived home after working the night shift to find a white male holding a crowbar standing in her home.

 

The caller was on the phone with her mother at the time and advised her mother to call 911 she then fled the home to a neighbors. The suspect is described as a white male approximately 5’ 10” slim build wearing a long sleeve denim shirt, blue jeans and a welder’s type cap or bandanna. The victim stated the suspect exited her home and fled the area.

 

Upon arrival deputies searched for the suspect and discovered several household items that had been taken from the home between the home and highway 371. Deputies interviewed a witness that was traveling towards McCaskill and the witness stated that a white male wearing a light blue jean type long sleeve shirt blue jeans, and some sort of cap carrying a shotgun ran from the direction of Hempstead 31 into the roadway of 371 causing him to swerve to keep from hitting him. The witness stated that the white male entered the woods on 371 and ran towards Nashville.

 

While working the scene the deputies were able to identify the suspect as 47 year old George Gitchell who according to Hempstead County Booking records is Homeless.

 

 Deputies and State Troopers searched the area where Gitchell was believed to have fled for several hours. At approximately 3:30 P.M.  Inv. Gary Dorman located Gitchell walking on Hempstead County 404 and took him into custody. Dorman recovered several items including a laptop computer and a pistol.  After a search of the area deputies recovered a 12 gauge shotgun that was taken from the home on county road 31.

 

Gitchell was transported to the Hempstead County Detention Center where he was booked on Residential Burglary and Theft of property Charges. Gitchell is also a suspect in several burglars in Hempstead and Howard Counties.