Police arrested a Maryland man after he allegedly assaulted a child and her mother who were trick-or-treating for Halloween Tuesday night, reportedly having "nibbled on" the young girl's ear, and followed her home when she ran away.
According to a local report, the man tried to force entry into the girl's home. When the girl's mother pushed the man, identified as Cedrick Paines, 66, he allegedly pointed a handgun at her and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire.
Paines faces multiple charges that include first-degree assault and weapons violations, according to Anne Arundel County police.
Police said that Paines returned home, where officers questioned and arrested him, according to a report by local station WBAL.
The charging documents reportedly state that Paines told officers he had not touched the girl's ear, but claimed he had gotten close to it. He told officers that he jokes around with his grandchildren by biting their fingers.
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The charging documents also reportedly state that officers asked Paines whether he owns any guns and that Paines led officers into his house and showed them where he kept his guns. The local report says that, according to the Maryland Gun Center, Paines is not prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
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Police said that officers executed a search warrant at Paines' house and seized two handguns, one shotgun and a .22 caliber rifle.
When Paines was interviewed by local TV station WJZ, he denied the accusations and told the outlet that he had just been trying to tell the girl a secret.
"Imagine if the gun went off! That's crazy," neighborhood resident Tionna Dennis said, according to WJZ.
"The young kids that want to get dressed up and go knock on doors, they can't even do that now, because of this," Dennis said. "And in my own neighborhood? That's nasty."
