NATCHEZ — Two Adams County men were arrested Tuesday after they allegedly broke into the home of an 85-year-old man, maced him and broke his foot as they burglarized his Liberty Road residence.

The father of one of the two men was also arrested on allegations he was driving a getaway vehicle.

Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield said his department received a call in the early morning hours Tuesday about the incident.

“The homeowner advised he was in bed watching TV when a subject with a hooded shirt entered his room and immediately maced him before pushing him to the floor and demanding money,” Mayfield said. “(The suspect) then threw him on the bed and ran out of room.”

The victim’s grandson heard the noise from upstairs and saw a subject wearing a black hoodie running out of the residence, Mayfield said.

The sheriff said that as deputies were responding, one of the officers saw a van driving very slowly and noted that it seemed suspicious. In the van was Charles Nettles Sr., 49.

“After investigating this guy, they believed he was out there to pick up the people who had just done this home invasion,” Mayfield said.

“The officer out there saw two white males — Charles Warren Grantham and Charles M. Nettles Jr. — walking out of the woods, and stopped and detained them.”

After using a tracking dog with the assistance of the Natchez Police Department, the deputies were able to find in a nearby wooded area the goods that were taken from the house — a television and several firearms, Mayfield said.

The sheriff said the men were also linked to a vehicle burglary that had occurred in the Liberty Road area Monday night or Tuesday morning.

Grantham, 20, 4 Calamity Hill Circle, was charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling — home invasion. Nettles Jr., 19, 115 Kaiser Lake Road, was charged with burglary of a vehicle, burglary of an occupied dwelling — home invasion and aggravated assault. Both were detained without bond Wednesday.

Mayfield said the burglary charges against the men have an enhancement that raises the minimum sentence for the crime to 10 years prison because the victim was a senior citizen and because the manner in which they entered the dwelling is considered under the law “likely to terrorize any person occupying the house at the time.”

The victim was transported to a local hospital with trouble breathing and a broken foot.

Nettles Sr., also of 115 Kaiser Lake Road, was charged with driving under suspension, possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle, transportation of alcoholic beverages, no insurance, possession of paraphernalia and felony accessory after the fact. His bond was set at $5,000.

The sheriff said the home invasion was a heinous crime but that he was proud of deputies for their excellent investigation and observation in the matter.