Woman, 87, Fights Off Intruder, Gives Him Food Before Calling 911

An 87-year-old woman in Maine successfully fought off an intruder in her Brunswick home, before giving him food because he said he was “awfully hungry.”

Marjorie Perkins went to bed just like any other night in July. In the early hours of July 26, at around 2 am, she awoke to a young man standing in her bedroom.

Why did the woman give him food?

Perkins told the press that the intruder had taken off his clothes and he told her he was going to cut her. She immediately fought back, putting a chair between them as they fought. The teenage intruder hit her on her forehead and her cheek when he stopped and went to the kitchen, telling Perkins of his hunger.

In response, Perkins gave him a box of peanut butter and honey crackers, two protein drinks, and two tangerines before calling 911 on her rotary phone. She was talking to a dispatcher when her teenage attacker took his pants and left, leaving behind his knife, shirt, shoes, and water bottle containing alcohol. 

Aftermath

Despite the fact that her home, which she’s lived in for 42 years, was attacked, Perkins said that she still feels safe there. However, she does worry about the rampant crime in the area, saying “I think our law has just folded up. People aren’t afraid of anything anymore. They feel they can do as they please.”

In a news release, police working on the case said that they had immediately tracked down Perkins’ teenage attacker and charged him with burglary, criminal threatening, assault, and consuming liquid as a minor. However, due to his age, the authorities did not reveal his identity, simply stating that the teen was staying within the same vicinity as the victim. 

Suggested reading: 11-Year-Old US Girl Makes Prank Call To 911, Arrested