A suspicious man was seen lurking in someone’s yard near Nancy Guthrie‘s Arizona home several weeks ago … and police are now investigating the case to see if it’s tied to the mother of Savannah Guthrie‘s kidnapping.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department tells TMZ … in early January, an elderly man spotted the trespasser at his Tucson home, less than 10 minutes away from 84-year-old Nancy’s house. The sheriff’s department said the case was forwarded to the unit investigating Nancy’s case for possible leads.

TMZ spoke to the elderly man, who says he caught the loiterer in his yard after a motion sensor went off and a floodlight switched on. We’re told the light spooked the uninvited guest, who fled on foot before anyone could get a good look at his face. The man noted there was no break-in attempt and nothing was stolen from his yard.

As everyone knows, Nancy’s family reported her missing Sunday after they received word she didn’t show up at her regular church service.

Police say she was kidnapped from her home between Saturday night and Sunday morning. On Tuesday, NewsNation Senior National Correspondent Brian Entin published footage that shows a blood trail on Nancy’s porch.