Pettis County Man Arrested in Stabbing Incident

On Wednesday around 9:30 p.m., Pettis County deputies and Missouri State Highway Patrol Troopers responded to a home on Chmelir Road in Ionia on a report of a female victim at the residence who was stabbed four times at another location.

Deputies contacted the adult female victim, who informed them she was assaulted and stabbed by her boyfriend, subsequently identified as Thomas Pitts of Cole Camp. The woman escaped just before being tied up by him in the garage, allegedly to torture her.. She ran to a neighbor's house. She reportedly had deep lacerations from the multiple stab wounds above her hip, her ribs and her arm from a small knife used by Pitts.

Deputies then responded to 20630 Chmelier Road in Ionia, where the assault took place, and obtained a search warrant.

Pitts was not located at that residence, but investigation was conducted at the scene.

Pitts was charged on Thursday with 1st degree domestic assault, armed criminal action, 1st degree kidnapping and unlawful use of a weapon. All warrants were “no-bond.”

And on Saturday at 1:27 a.m., Pitts was located at 20630 Chmelir Road and taken into custody by Pettis County deputies and MSHP Troopers.

In addition, a male and female were also taken into custody, pending the filing of formal charges of Hindering Prosecution by the Pettis County Prosecutor's Office.

The male was identified as 28-year-old Damien Prentice Cloe of Sedalia, and 33-year-old Samantha Batzel of Windsor.