A Selma man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday for breaking into a home and holding a woman at knifepoint just over a year ago.

Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson said 19-year-old Peter Le’Quach was sentenced for first-degree burglary and second-degree assault by Circuit Judge Don McMillian.

“To pull a knife on an elderly person is low,” Jackson said. “We are going to keep shipping these burglars and violent offenders off for a long time.”

The burglary happened on Nov. 5, 2015, on the 1000 block of Utah Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, Le’Quach was detained by the homeowners — a husband and wife.

The woman told officers she fell asleep at the kitchen table while working on her computer and was woken up by a pinch on her neck.

“He took the knife and put it behind her neck, but she didn’t have any injuries where she had to go to the hospital,” said Sgt. Evelyn Ghant the day after the incident. “She just felt the pinch on the back of her neck.”

When the woman woke up, Le’Quach was standing over her with a knife in his hand, so she screamed for her husband to help.

“[She] advised that she yelled for her husband … and they detained the subject until officers arrived,” said Detective Ray Blanks. “Le’Quach admitted … that he committed the burglary and also poked the victim.”

Le’Quach entered the home through an open window. Blanks said Le’Quach told officers that he was “down right now and doesn’t have anywhere to live.”

“Le’Quach advised that when he was walking he saw the window up, so therefore he went into the residence through the window looking for something to steal so that he could sell it to get a little money,” Blanks said in a statement.

Le’Quach told officers he did not intend to hurt anyone but only grabbed the knife to use it as a distraction to get out of the home.