Denton Police arrested a 72-year-old man after a woman reported a home invasion Friday morning.
According to a press release from the Denton Police Department the arrestee was Paul Merritt, a registered sex offender. He faces multiple charges, including stalking.
Authorities said the woman reported that a man broke into her home, physically assaulted her and restrained her against her will for approximately two hours. During a struggle with the suspect, she was threatened and cut with a knife, police added.
“After the suspect fled with her credit card and other property, she was able to free herself from the restraints and call 911,” the department said. “She sustained minor physical injuries.”
Detectives were able to identify Paul Merritt quickly after reviewing interior home surveillance video of the suspect. By the time he was detained Friday afternoon, he was still wearing the same clothes he had on in the video.
“He also had fresh scratches on his face, indicative of a recent struggle,” according to police.
Merritt confessed to the crime multiple times after agreeing to an interview with detectives. He revealed that he first noticed the woman at a store two months before and had been stalking her. Prior to the break in on Friday, Merritt watched the victim at her home multiple times, he admitted. He also said that he had tried to gain entry before.
“Detectives also determined that Merritt lied about his residential address and was primarily living at another residence, failing to comply with his sex offender registration requirements,” police said.
In addition to talking, Merritt was charged with failure to comply with registration requirements with previous conviction, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful restraint, and burglary of habitation with the intent to commit another felony. As of Saturday, he was being held in Denton County Jail with a $355,000 bond.
Anyone with information about Merritt that may be relevant to detectives, is asked to contact police at 940-349-8181 and reference case #22186808.
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