A 60-year-old Plymouth man is sitting in jail without bail after police say he forced his way into a woman's home, punched her, held a 10-inch knife to her throat and threatened to kill her — all while searching for his missing e-bike. Melvin Merl Harrison, of Franklin Street, was arrested Wednesday night and now faces robbery, burglary, aggravated assault and a string of other charges.
According to the Times Leader, Harrison forced his way inside a residence on Davenport Street and assaulted a woman in bed while holding a knife to her throat. The attack happened around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday at a home on Davenport Street in Plymouth, and police say Harrison confronted the woman in an upstairs bedroom while looking for his e-bike. The complaint describes Harrison as an acquaintance of the victim who normally knocks before visiting, but this time he entered her home without invitation, according to the complaint.
Police say surveillance footage showed Harrison wielding a roughly 10-inch knife during the encounter. The footage reportedly captured him punching the woman twice in the body before he thrust the knife toward her and held it at her throat. Police say Harrison terrorized the woman in her home for two minutes and 32 seconds, repeatedly threatening to kill her, and that video footage of the incident showed him punching the woman in her head and torso, per the Times Leader's account.
Bat Grabbed, Then Stolen, As Threats Continued
During the attack, Harrison allegedly grabbed a baseball bat that was propped against a wall and swung it at the woman several times. The confrontation only ended when the woman pointed out that cameras were recording him, and he fled the residence with the baseball bat, according to police. Court records indicate he took the bat with him when he fled.
Borough police arrested Harrison at his home Wednesday night. He now faces charges of robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, criminal trespass, terroristic threats, theft, strangulation, harassment, and two counts of simple assault, according to court records cited by the Times Leader and corroborated by a separate report from the Citizens' Voice.
Arraigned, Jailed Without Bail
Magisterial District Judge Ferris Peter Webby Sr. arraigned Harrison Thursday morning and denied him bail, deeming him a danger to the public. He was jailed without bail at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, where he remains held. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for November 18.
