MITCHELL — A Mitchell resident faces felony residential entry and public intoxication charges after allegedly walking uninvited into a neighbor’s home and trying to open a parked car’s door on Sunday morning, according to court documents filed by the Mitchell Police Department.
Zachary Canfield, 39, was taken into custody on August 2, 2026, following a call regarding an unwanted person in the area of South 7th Street.
According to a probable cause affidavit authored by Detective Cody Grogan, officers responded around 10:27 a.m. to a residence at 632 South 7th Street. The male reporting party informed dispatch that an unknown male wearing a gray tank top and blue sweatpants had walked into his house and subsequently attempted to enter a neighbor’s vehicle.
While Detective Grogan was en route, dispatch reported that the suspect was walking barefoot in the rain toward the Mitchell Police Department.
Detective Grogan located a man matching the description—wearing a gray cutoff shirt, blue pajama pants, and no shoes—walking northbound near 526 South 7th Street.
When approached by law enforcement, the individual, identified as Canfield, denied entering anyone’s home. Detective Grogan noted that Canfield exhibited bloodshot, glassy eyes, over-emphasized facial expressions and hand gestures, and emitted a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, despite denying having consumed drugs or alcohol.
Shortly after initial contact, the male caller and a female witness arrived at the location and identified Canfield as the individual who had entered the residence uninvited.
Detective Grogan placed Canfield in handcuffs and read him his Miranda rights. Canfield was unable to follow instructions during a Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) field sobriety test. A preliminary breathalyzer test administered by Deputy Clifford Pruett of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department yielded a result of 0.125% BAC.
Police also spoke with a female neighbor, who inspected her vehicle and confirmed there was no physical damage. Multiple other occupants were inside the residence at the time of the entry, according to police records.
Canfield faces the following preliminary charges in Lawrence County: residential entry and public intoxication.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
