Denton police arrested a man at an apartment complex Wednesday after an off-duty sheriff's deputy reported that the man pulled a knife on him.
The deputy acts as a courtesy officer at the complex in the 1300 block of Dallas Drive.
He said he was making a security round of the area at about 2:15 a.m. when he saw a man walk into the complex and believed that he had no business there.
The deputy walked up to the man and asked him whether he lived in the complex. The man kept walking, and then he stopped and opened a pocket knife, a police report states.
When the deputy heard the knife click open, he realized he had not brought a weapon with him. He ran back to his apartment to retrieve his pistol and returned to the man, who began cursing him, according to the report.
While the deputy was in his apartment, he called 911, and soon officers from the police department arrived.
The officers found a pocket knife hidden in a flower pot, according to the report.
They arrested the man, who told them he pulled the knife for protection from a "skinhead guy who threatened me with a butcher knife."
Other reports
600 block of East Hickory Street - A man came into the police department lobby Wednesday afternoon to report a fraud. He said that he and a friend agreed to clean out a woman's garage for $500.
She told them they could take her 2002 minivan to a junkyard and have it crushed for scrap metal for her payment to them.
When they asked for the title, she said she had lost it, according to a police report.
They tried to sell the minivan but could not because they didn't have the title, they said. They decided to fix up the minivan and drive it, and they spent $1,400 on the project.
When they tried to obtain a title, they learned it was under lien to a pay day loan company and they could not obtain a title.
600 block of East Hickory Street - A man came into the police department Wednesday to report that his former wife is harassing him by calling and texting him constantly.
He said he was supposed to have visitation with their three children. But the woman would only allow him to see the children if he came to her house and had sex with her, according to the report.
Recently he began refusing to have sex with her and she is refusing to allow him to see his children, he said.
Plus, he said, she calls and texts him constantly, and he wants the harassment stopped.
500 block of West University Drive - Store employees called police to report that they were suspicious of a man has been coming into the store buying parts and charging them on the credit card of a car dealership in another state.
He was back in the store Wednesday evening, they said, and they asked that an officer respond. The officer came in the back door of the store and watched as the man gave a clerk credit card information to charge his purchases.
The man did not have the actual credit card, according to a police report.
When the officer contacted the man, he claimed he worked for a local car dealership and was using that company's credit card information with permission.
He gave a telephone number for his supervisor who would back that up, he said.
The officer called the number and found that it rang at a city government office.
The officer arrested the man on charges of credit card abuse.
Roundup
From 7 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday:
• Denton police handled 272 service and officer-initiated calls, including seven vehicle burglaries, three frauds, one report of harassment, one criminal mischief, one welfare concern, three reports of sexual assault, five thefts and one report of a person with a knife.
• Denton County sheriff's dispatchers handled 629 service and officer-initiated calls for the agencies they serve. Forty-five people were booked into county jail. Deputies took reports of one theft and one case of harassment.
• Denton firefighters responded to 13 medical calls, one traffic accident, one report of excess heat or scorching and one request to assist an invalid.
Argyle firefighters responded to one medical call and one traffic accident.
Aubrey firefighters responded to four medical calls, one structure fire, one missing person search and one suicide attempt.
Krum firefighters responded to one medical call and one structure fire.
Lake Cities firefightersto six medical calls, one structure fire, one suicide attempt and one traffic accident.
Oak Point firefighters responded to one structure fire.
Ponder firefighters responded to one alarm.
Pilot Point firefighters responded to one structure fire.
Sanger firefighters responded to four medical calls and one structure fire.
DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com .
Denton County Crime Stoppers will pay a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in these or other crimes. Callers will remain anonymous. Call 1-800-388-TIPS (8477). Reach the Denton police narcotics tip line at 940-565-5801.
