Burglary try is made into a wreck by the old 97

Talk about feisty.

A 97-year-old Cinnaminson woman smacked a burglar on the hand Friday when he broke the window next to her back door and groped for the lock.

He took off.

"Most people, whether they're teenagers or adults, would be running and trying to hide, or calling 911," said Cinnaminson Police Detective Sgt. Bill Covert. "He probably didn't have any idea what was on the other side of the door."

The woman, who was not identified, was not rattled, Covert said. She had seen the man pull his car up to her house about 11:30 a.m., and ignored him when he banged on her door. She peered out her window and saw him return to his car and grab a crowbar.

She continued to watch as he tried to pry open the rear door and then smashed the glass pane.

But when he stuck his hand in, the woman had had enough. She didn't hesitate to rap him hard.

As he fled, she took note of his license plate. Covert said state police are trying to track down the vehicle.

It's not the first time a 97-year-old Cinnaminson woman has done something remarkable in the face of danger this year. In January, when her split-level house exploded and shook the town, Marian Sands stood by the back door, clutching her phone and shih tzu. She had been trying to explain to PSE&G representatives that she heard a hissing sound when her house exploded and went up in flames.

She was hospitalized with minor injuries, but after a few weeks, she was back to her old routine.

Why not?

- Jan Hefler