Woman tells police she fled from gunshots

Law enforcement officers from several agencies in and around Putnam County found themselves in an all-out search Friday night for a woman lost in the woods and claiming someone had tried to shoot her.

Shortly after 6 p.m., the Putnam County Dispatch Center received a frantic cell phone call from a woman claiming to be lost in the woods near Reelsville. She told dispatchers she was fleeing from her boyfriend and that someone had tried to shoot her.?A short time later, her cell phone cut out and the connection was lost.

Police weren't sure the woman's exact location for some time and sheriff's deputies from Putnam and Clay counties, along with Cloverdale Police, State Police and Reelsville firefighters joined the search. Authorities thought the woman could be in Owen County or Clay County as well. Dispatchers were working with the telephone company to determine the woman's exact location.

But at around 7:30 p.m., Putnam County Sheriff's Deputy Doug Nally located the female at a residence on Jackie Dunn Road, along with a second woman.

At that point, police then shifted their search to the alleged victim's boyfriend who was believed to have been driving a blue van. Just before 8 p.m., police located a blue Chevrolet van abandoned in the 6800 block of Ind. 42.

There was no one in the van when police arrived and it was believed the driver hitched a ride with someone and headed north toward Cloverdale. A search of the area revealed no suspects.

As of presstime Saturday morning, the unidentified female was in the care of police at the Putnam County Jail and was being interviewed.

Based on dispatches over the radio, it appeared police had identified the woman's boyfriend, but it wasn't clear if he had been located as of 12:30 a.m. Saturday.

Anyone with information is asked to the call the dispatch center at 653-5115 or the sheriff's department at 653-1810.