A Sampson County man decided to get a suspected prowler off property he was visiting late Monday night, pulling out a shotgun and firing at him.

The tactic worked — by the time deputies arrived, the suspect was long gone.

According to reports, the 50-year-old Autryville man was at a residence, located in the 100 block of Gainey Road in the northern end of the county, when he noticed a Hispanic male standing in the back yard around 11 p.m.

The man went to get his .20-gauge shotgun and took another look out the window. By that time, the suspect had moved closer to the house, peeking inside a window near the front of the residence.

The suspect took off running into a nearby soybean field after the 50-year-old fired one shot at him, reports show.

Although he was not hit, the suspect kept running. Reports indicate that the man fired two more shots at the suspect as he ran off into the woods.

A search for the suspect was unsuccessful.

At the time of the incident, the Hispanic man was wearing a white or gray baseball cap and a dark green pair of pants and shirt. He was on foot.

If you have any information on this case or may have been in the area at the time of the incident, you are asked to call the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office at 910-592-4141.

To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or email to sisports@heartlandpublications.com.