Gun-toting grandma praised for stopping home intruder

A grandmother is being praised for her "bold actions" after she apprehended an intruder in her home with a shotgun.

The grandmother, 78, from Spanaway, Washington, said in the moment she "was scared to death, I really was," but she managed to grab a weapon and subdue the man.

Sandy, who didn't want to provide her last name, told KIRO she knew something wasn't right when her dog Booboo started barking on Sunday. When she went to investigate she found a man trying to break into her house.

"And we looked at each for a few minutes and he turned and started to leave," she said.

But the grandmother was not about to let him escape.

"And I said, 'Oh, no you don't. You stay right there'," Sandy said.

"And I reached over and got my shotgun and I cocked it and I told him to stay right there because he was going to turn and walk away.

"I told him to go out, sit on the steps. I followed him out. And when he got to the bottom of the steps I told him to sit down and I just stood here with the shotgun waiting for the police to come."

KIRO reported Sandy's neighbourhood has been "plagued by car prowls" and the grandmother was fed up.

She said during the incident she felt "totally calm".

"After he was so meek and mild and sat down like I told him to, empowering! I felt like at least I was in charge, I wasn't afraid," she said.

County deputies later arrived and arrested the man. They praised her bold actions and quick thinking.

Sandy didn't press charges and the man was later released.