An 80-year old woman was attacked by an 18-year old man, but ended up holding the attacker's gun and pointing it directly at him.

The gun slipped out of the man's grip and fell on the floor during a scuffle. The woman managed to grab it and use it to threaten the man intending to run away with her purse.

The woman fell short of her threat, however, and the man eventually ran off carrying her purse.

Authorities eventually apprehended the thief after a witness to the incident pointed police to an apartment. Footprints left in the snow eventually led authorities to an apartment that housed Dandre Bell.

According to the UPI, police found Bell with the woman's checks in his pocket. The purse was then discovered on the apartment landing.

Police charged Bell, who claimed he needed "to get money for his baby", with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.

He was released on his own recognizance.