SPANAWAY, Wash. — A 78-year-old woman from Spanaway held an intruder at gunpoint after finding the man breaking into her home, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman, who goes by Sandy, knew something was wrong when her dog, Booboo, started barking Sunday night.
“I opened my door, and standing right 2, 3 feet in front of me was a man. We looked at each other for a few seconds, and he turned and started to leave. And I said, ‘Oh no, you don’t. You stay right there!’” she said.
Sandy said her neighborhood has been plagued by crime recently, resulting in her car being prowled twice. When she came face to face with the intruder, she wasn’t about to let him run away.
“I reached over and got my shotgun. And I cocked it, and I told him to stay right there,” she said. “Told him to go sit on the steps. I followed him out, and I just stood here with the shotgun waiting for the police to come.”
It was Sandy’s first time using the shotgun, which she got years ago to protect her family as a single mother. She was initially “scared to death” while holding the intruder at gunpoint.
“But then I was totally calm, really and truly. I thought, ‘This is amazing!’ I said, ‘You know, I’ve got grandchildren your age!’”
The grandmother asked why he tried to break in and was alarmed to hear some of his answers. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office reported the man told deputies, “He was looking for his wife and talked about how God had sent him.”
Deputies arrested the suspect and said it’s all thanks to Sandy’s quick thinking and bold actions.
The grandmother said she’s grateful no one, including the intruder, got hurt.
“After he was so meek and mild and sat down like I told him to do? It was empowering. I felt like at least I was in charge. I wasn’t afraid,” she said.
Deputies said the suspect did not show any signs of impairment and did not seem distressed. He was released after the homeowner chose not to press charges.
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