A China, Maine, man was arrested on Thursday after allegedly assaulting his parents, breaking into their house with a splitting maul, and threatening to murder them.
Kennebec County Sheriff’s deputies responded to 51 14th Fire Road in China after a caller, presumably one of the victims, called 911, and dispatch heard a shouted threat of “I’m here to kill you,” shortly before the call was cut off.
Deputies arrived and discovered that the 40-year-old Jacob Merrill, of China, had allegedly assaulted his parents outside by their fire pit, causing them to retreat inside their house. He then reportedly used a splitting maul that he found near the fire pit to smash through the home’s French door and enter.
Deputies discovered what the Sheriff’s Department described as a “path of destruction” allegedly left by Merrill. He had left his parents’ house by the time deputies arrived, but he was seen entering his residence next door.
Hours later, deputies obtained an arrest warrant for Merrill and a search warrant for his house. A Maine State Police Tactical Team joined the deputies to help with the arrest because they believed Merrill to be armed.
A game warden assisted while deputies awaited the tactical team’s arrival.
Merrill was arrested without incident and transported to the Kennebec County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
He faces two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of criminal threatening with a deadly weapon, one count of aggravated criminal mischief, and one count for violating his conditional release from a previous arrest.
