Homeless man charged for attacking, threatening 'NCIS' actress Pauley Perrette

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Monday, November 16, 2015
Assault suspect David Merck, 45, is shown alongside an image of actress Pauley Perrette.
Assault suspect David Merck, 45, is shown alongside an image of actress Pauley Perrette.
KABC

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A homeless man was charged Monday for attacking and threatening "NCIS" actress Pauley Perrette in Hollywood.

David Merck, 45, was arraigned at Foltz Criminal Justice Center where he pleaded not guilty to one felony count of making a criminal threat and one felony count of false imprisonment by violence.

The judge ordered Merck's bail at $60,000 and he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 2

Merck is suspected of punching and threatening to kill Perrette outside of her Hollywood home on Thursday.

Perrette said Merck, who kept telling her his name was William, grabbed her as she walked from her home on Cahuenga Terrace to a guest house she bought across the street.

"He grabbed me so forcefully, pinned my arm, punched me in the nose, forehead repeatedly telling me he was going to kill me," she tweeted on Friday.

It wasn't until she told the man her nephew was named William that she said Merck stopped and fled the scene.

Authorities found and arrested Merck later that night.