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Paul Henrikson charged with Class C felony criminal trespass

Paul Martin Henrikson, 49, who is already facing multiple felony charges in district court in Minot, was arrested on a charge of criminal trespass on the morning of Oct. 31.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the court, Henrikson walked uninvited into a home in Minot at 7:03 a.m. He then walked out the back door and into their back yard.

Police located Henrikson walking in the area and he was detained. He was carrying a machete in his waist band and told police he was going to chop wood.

A boy in the house told police that he had been playing video games when Henrikson came into the house. Henrikson told the boy that he is part of the neighborhood watch and thought he heard a woman scream upstairs. He asked if a woman named Michelle was there. Henrickson then went out the unlocked back door and the boy told an adult in the house to call police.

The boy later identified Henrikson by the black jacket and beanie he was wearing.

Henrikson was arrested on an outstanding warrant. Officers searched Henrikson and found burglary tools, a flashlight, and a stun gun on his person.

In court on Friday, Henrikson told Judge Gary Lee that he had heard screaming coming from the residence, knocked on the door and walked in and asked the boy if things were OK. He said the boy told him that his stepmother had been making the noise. Henrikson said he then walked out of the house. Henrikson said he had been walking to work and was going to use the machete to trim tree branches.

“I am not a danger to the community,” said Henrikson, adding that he will never try to help someone again, even if he overhears someone being murdered.

Henrikson said he had missed some court appearances because of a mixup with court scheduling.

Henrikson is listed as a high risk sex offender on the North Dakota Sex Offender Registry. He was convicted in 2004 in district court in Ward County of molesting his friend’s 7-year-old daughter in 2001. He is also charged in district court in Ward County with failure to update his sex offender registration.

Ward County Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher Nelson told Lee that Henrikson has an extensive criminal record going back to 1988 and has a history of failing to make court appearances. For that reason, he said he was requesting a high bond. Nelson also told the judge that the state will ask for a two year minimum mandatory sentence on the criminal trespass charge because Henrikson had a machete.

Judge Gary Lee set bond at $150,000 cash or corporate surety.

Henrikson, who was in a wheelchair and appeared in court via interactive television, angrily stuck up both middle fingers at the judge as a Ward County Jail correctional officer wheeled him away.

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