(HorizonPost.com) – The 87-year-old Maine woman who fought off an intruder that broke into her Brunswick home said she gave him something to eat before calling the police, the New York Post reported.
According to the Times-Record, retired school teacher Marjorie Perkins woke up around 2:00 am on Wednesday, July 26 to discover a teenager standing over her.
Perkins said the teen got into her home by moving the side panel of the air conditioner and squeezing through the gap.
The teen was pantsless and shoeless having piled them next to the window air conditioning unit along with a knife, according to Brunswick police.
When the teen threatened to “cut” her, Perkins said she “jumped into her shoes” to kick him.
The teenager began hitting her, so Perkins used a chair as a shield as she shouted out the window for help. She continued kicking at him while the teen repeatedly pushed and punched her.
The teen eventually got tired of the fight and wandered into the kitchen.
Perkins said she kept telling the boy that he needed to leave and should get some help. When he said he hadn’t eaten for a while, Perkins offered him peanut butter, crackers, two Ensure shakes, and two tangerines.
While the teen ate the snacks, Perkins dialed 911. But Brunswick police didn’t arrive until after the teen left her house.
With the help of a police dog, the officers caught up with the boy a few blocks away. He was taken into custody and transported to the Long Creek Youth Development Center in Portland facing multiple charges, including burglary, assault, and criminal threatening.
While police only described the suspect as a “young adult,” Perkins said the teen is 17 and used to mow her lawn for extra cash.
“He did a darn good job,” Perkins told the outlet.
After the incident, one of Perkins’ neighbors gave her a bat for defense. She also had someone reinforce her air conditioning unit with screws.
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