A 92-year-old New Rochelle resident found out the hard way that it's a good idea to lock your front door. Tony Vanacore tells New Rochelle's Talk of the Sound, "God gave me the strength to go down those stairs and punch this guy."
According to WCBS 2, the suspect "entered Vanacore’s home through the unlocked front door where he was met by Vanacore’s caregiver, Mariana. Mariana and the intruder were struggling on a staircase when Vanacore got up and joined the fight." Vanacore said, "I pulled his hat off his head to see what the hell he looked like. He had his hat down to his eyes, and then I ran up to dial 911. He ran up after me and shut the phone off and I re-dialed and he ran away."
Also, adding to the drama, was the gun that the intruder was wielding. Vanacore's nurse actually grabbed it, because she didn't think it was real—and she was right, it broke when she touched it.
Vanacore proudly added, "The funny thing is, I use a walker, but when all this was happening, I was running without no help and fighting with him because he was harming my caretaker. I gave him some pretty good shots. He gave me some shots too. I got bruises." One tip: "You keep your left hand out and counterpunch." He also said, after living in his home for over 50 years, he'd finally start locking his front door.
Police think the robbery attempt could be connected with other home invasions in the area.
