POINT MARION, Pa. – An 85-year-old woman busted a would-be burglar by pulling a gun on him, then forcing him to call 911 while she kept him in her sights, police said.
"I just walked right on past him to the bedroom and got my gun," said Leda Smith, of Springhill Township, about 45 miles south of Pittsburgh.
Smith heard the 17-year-old boy break into her home about 3 p.m. Monday. She grabbed a .22-caliber revolver she began keeping by her bed when a neighbor's home was burglarized a few weeks ago.
"I said, 'What are you doing in my house?' He just kept saying he didn't do it," Smith said.
After the boy called 911, Smith held him at bay until the state police arrived.
The boy will be charged with attempted burglary and related offenses in Fayette County Juvenile Court, Trooper Christian Lieberum said. The boy was not identified because of his age.
"It was exciting," Smith said, who hoped the incident stops burglaries in her neighborhood. "I just hope I broke up the ring because they have been hitting a lot of places around here."
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