Blotter: Deputy struggles to save woman from self

A Denton County sheriff's deputy reported he had to fight and eventually use a Taser on a woman to get her out of a burning house Monday.

According to the sheriff's report, the deputy responded to the house in the 1400 block of Stony Valley Drive in the Krum area twice that evening. The first time he was inquiring about a complaint from a roommate that the resident had kicked her out of the house and would not let her have her two dogs. She said the woman also kept her guitar.

The resident would not talk to the deputy or open the door, according to the report.

He had been gone only a short while when he received a second call to go to the house at about 6:30 p.m. This time neighbors were reporting that the woman had set fire to the house, jumped out a window, cutting herself, and then had run back inside.

The woman then barricaded herself inside a closet, according to the report.

The deputy first tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but that only slowed down the flames that had been set among some trash and debris inside the house.

Then the deputy tried to get the woman out of the closet, but she fought and kicked him, he said. She was holding a pocketknife in her hand and refused to drop it when he commanded her to, the report states.

He finally had to use his Taser to subdue the woman, and one of the neighbors helped him drag her out of the burning house, the report states.

The fire department arrived and extinguished the flames. The two dogs were given back to their owner. A neighbor had found the guitar on the curb with a "free" sign on it and gave it back to the evicted roommate.

The woman had slashed her wrist with a razor, and it was bleeding heavily, so she was taken by paramedics to a Denton emergency room.

After treatment, the woman was examined by mental health investigators. Then she was released with a promise to seek outpatient care, according to the sheriff's report.

Other reports

2400 block of Stella Street - A man told Denton police Monday that on Saturday night he returned from a date and was walking to his apartment at about 10 p.m. when he was robbed.

He said two men came over a wooden fence at him and three more men came around the fence. Two of the men brandished knives. One held a hammer, and the other held a baseball bat. They threatened him and shoved him against the fence, he said.

One of the men demanded his wallet, he said. He handed it over, and the man took about $100 out of it and then threw the wallet on the ground, the report states. All of the men then ran, he said.

He waited until Wednesday to report the crime because he was "being a stupid teenager," he told the officer.

1100 block of Bernard Street - A witness called for help Monday after hearing gunshots fired near her apartment. She said an old white Ford truck drove by, turned around and drove past again. The second time, shots were fired, she said.

Then the truck, with two passengers, sped away. The driver lost control and hit a parked vehicle but kept on going, a police report states.

Responding officers found a Volkswagen parked nearby with a window broken. They found two bullet holes in the headrest, according to the report.

Officers began looking for the white truck and spotted it abandoned on another street. The registered owner lived nearby, but no one answered the door when the officer knocked.

A witness reported that two men had jumped out of the damaged truck and ran into the apartment moments earlier.

Roundup

From 7 a.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday:

* Denton police responded to 238 service and officer-initiated calls, including one attempted burglary, three burglaries, one vehicle burglary, one forgery, two reports of criminal mischief, one aggravated robbery, one debit card abuse, four thefts and one disturbance.

* Denton County sheriff's dispatchers handled 510 service and officer-initiated calls for the agencies they serve.

Thirty-two people were booked into county jail.

Deputies took reports of two attempted suicides and one arson.

* Denton firefighters responded to 19 medical calls, one traffic accident, two smoke investigations, one request for public service, one false call and one water leak.

Argyle firefighters responded to one medical call.

Aubrey firefighters responded to three medical calls, one structure fire and one suicide attempt.

Krum firefighters responded to one alarm and one medical call.

Lake Cities firefighters responded to one alarm, one request to assist a citizen, one medical call, one smoke investigation and one structure fire.

Oak Point firefighters responded to one medical call.

Ponder firefighters responded to one structure fire and one medical call.

Pilot Point firefighters responded to two medical calls and one traffic accident.

Sanger firefighters responded to two medical calls, one traffic accident and one request to unlock a vehicle.

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.