Man arrested after crawling out of woods, chasing homeowner in Cape County

A 25-year-old man was arrested July 9 after allegedly crawling out of the woods and attempting to break into a Cape Girardeau County home, then resisting arrest, according to a probable-cause statement filed by Cape Girardeau County sheriff’s deputy Aaron Harris.

Ryle S. Caler is charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest and two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree assault.

Harris stated the incident occurred shortly after midnight when a man at home heard noises coming from the woods. After getting his dog and approaching the area of tree brush where the noises had been coming from, the noises stopped and the man turned to return to his home, according to the probable-cause statement.

“As he began to walk back the male subject, identified as Ryle Caler, came crawling out of the underbrush on all fours,” Harris stated.

According to the probable-cause statement, the man asked Caler if he was okay or needed help multiple times, but Caler was “yelling at him” and “not making any sense.” The man then ran back toward his home while yelling for his wife to get inside as Caler chased after him, Harris stated.

The man made it inside of his residence with his family, according to the probable-cause statement, and Caler attempted to force entry into the family’s van and residence.

The man’s wife also observed Caler “crawling around on all fours” and went upstairs to protect her children as her husband held the door shut against Caler’s attempts to break in and assault them, Harris stated.

“Thank God for my husband and our dog for keeping us safe and our wonderful neighbors that came out and with their guns,” Lacey McCallister stated in a Facebook post. “Big shout out to Cape Girardeau County for making it to us so fast! You guys are truly amazing!!”

Harris stated he was dispatched to respond to the incident with Cpl. Zachary Snyder and deputy Aaron Cheney at about 12:25 a.m., and Caler left the residence as officers were en route. Caler was later located in a parking lot east of Gordonville Grill and taken into custody.

Caler also kicked Snyder in the right side of the face and in the ribs as he was being placed in a patrol vehicle, according to the probable-cause statement. He is now being held at the Cape Girardeau County Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond.