Man Charged After Attempted Burglary, Armed Standoff

A man was arrested early Wednesday morning after allegedly attempting to break into a home in the 1300 block of Gravois Road and being found with multiple firearms, including a rifle with a homemade suppressor.

Joseph Hercules, 55, of Hillsboro, has been charged with first-degree attempted burglary, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of an illegal weapon, resisting arrest, and second-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. He is being held without bond at the Franklin County Adult Detention Facility.

Deputies were dispatched to the residence around 4:20 a.m. after the homeowner reported a man aggressively trying to force entry through the front door. The victim, using a Ring doorbell camera, told the suspect he was at the wrong house, but the man continued to try to break in.

When deputies arrived, they found Hercules sitting in his vehicle in the driveway, with a rifle visible in the backseat. After ordering him out of the car at gunpoint, Hercules resisted arrest but was subdued with minimal force.

A search revealed Hercules was wearing a tactical vest containing two loaded pistol magazines. Inside his vehicle, deputies found a loaded pistol, the modified rifle, and other items. Investigators also discovered that Hercules had entered the homeowner’s vehicle, leaving another pistol and a pair of gloves inside.