(Imperial) A would-be thief fired shots at a homeowner who lives on Summer Circle near Mastodon State Park in Imperial early Friday morning. During a press conference held Monday at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Hillsboro, Sheriff Dave Marshak described the incident.

Sheriff Marshak says there have been over 40 vehicle breaks ins, by what the investigators believe, is two or three groups of persons using a coordinated effort to commit these crimes.

Most of the vehicle breaks-ins have occurred in the northern portion of the I-55 corridor or along the Highway 141 corridor. The Imperial homeowner was not injured after the shooting attempt. A video of the incident can be viewed on the KJFF Facebook Page.