Manhunt in St. Francois County for man accused of sodomy, arson
UPDATE: Pender is in custody, according to police.
ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY, Mo. – A manhunt is underway in rural St. Francois County for a man accused of sodomy and arson.
According to a St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, a deputy tried to take Michael D. Pender into custody just after 7 a.m. outside a convenience store in Iron Mountain Lake on an outstanding warrant for sodomy and forcible sodomy.
The sheriff’s department claims Pender was on an ATV and took off to avoid arrest, but the deputy jumped on the vehicle to try and stop him.
“Drug the deputy down to right here at this intersection and threw the deputy from the 4-wheeler, causing moderate injuries to the deputy,” Sgt. Tim Harris, St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department, said. “She’s still at the hospital seeking treatment for those injuries. We don’t know how severe they are right now.”
Pender was last seen in the area of Highway N and Iron Mountain Cemetery Road.
At least seven law enforcement agencies are looking for Pender and have deployed seven K-9 teams, a helicopter, and a thermal imaging drone in their search.
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“We believe he’s still in the wood line, hunkered down,” Harris said.
The sheriff’s department said Pender should be considered armed and dangerous and has made prior threats to shoot law enforcement.
In addition to the sodomy charges, Pender is facing pending charges for arson and felony assault on law enforcement, among others.
“We believe in an attempt to distract law enforcement, he set approximately four fires in the wood line, which our K-9 team was tracking,” Harris said.
Anyone who sees Pender or has knowledge of his whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately to contact their nearest law enforcement agency. Authorities are asking residents in the area to avoid traveling on four-wheelers and not walk in the woods around Iron Mountain Lake due to the presence of K-9 units.
Iron Mountain Lake is approximately 82 miles south of St. Louis.
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