Attempted home invasion reported

Four Alleghany men face charges in connection with a Dec. 9 burglary at the home of Jennifer Blevins Ruiz in the Piney Creek community. Ms. Ruiz shot one of the men in the hand as he was attempting to climb through a bedroom window. All the suspects then feld the scene and later were arrested by authorities.

Charged are Bernardino Lara Diego, 26, Jose Raul Figueroa, 37, 21-year-old Rosendo Martinez Hernandez, all of Piney Creek, and 30-year-old Celso Elox of Sparta.

According to Lt. Tim Duncan with the Alleghany Sheriff's Office, deputies Gary Justin West and Shane Glenn handled the case. While en route to a burglary in progress, the deputies were traveling on Piney Creek Post Office Road for about a mile when a vehicle traveling towards them forced them off the roadway to avoid a head-on collision. It was at that time that West identified the vehicle as matching the description of the vehicle that had recently been at Ruiz's residence.

Duncan explained Ruiz had a history with Diego and noted Diego and the others charged made the decision to go to Ruiz's home with the intent to break in. According to Duncan, during the incident, "Diego busted out a bedroom window and was in the process of climbing through the window.