Novato man accused of killing roommate, dog

Novato police booked a homicide suspect early Saturday after a shooting in the Hamilton area.

The crime happened at about 4:30 p.m. Friday at a residence on Martin Drive in the Lanham Village neighborhood, according to the Novato Police Department. Police, responding to reports about gunfire, found a man and a dog who had been shot to death.

Police detained two men at the residence and identified the suspect as Paul Henry Dwight, 65. Investigators determined that Dwight and the dead man were roommates who had had a dispute over their housing arrangements.

Investigators booked Dwight into the Marin County Jail at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday on suspicion of murder and animal cruelty. He is being held without a bail amount.

Police arrested the other man on suspicion of obstructing the investigation.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the townhome and recovered a gun.

Authorities did not release the name of the dead man while the coroner’s office worked to notify close family members.

Marin County had five homicides in 2022, according to the most recent data available from the California Department of Justice. Two were in Novato.

The county had an average of 3.3 homicides a year in the 10-year period from 2013-2022.