When an unknown man started following her, this 65-year-old New Hampshire woman calmly drew her handgun.
Manchester police stated that the woman, who does not wish to be identified, said she was followed to her apartment complex by an unknown man.
Michael Bontaites, 23, may have targeted the woman because of her small stature. According to police, Bontaites saw her at a nearby gas station and followed her home. The woman told police that a car had quickly pulled up behind her when she was stopped at a traffic light around 11:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4.
That’s when she felt something wasn’t right.
According to news station WMUR, when she arrived at her apartment complex, she parked her car as close to the building as she could. As she got out of her vehicle, she says she heard another car door close and heard footsteps quickly approaching behind her.
“Something in my head said to take the gun out of my purse,” the woman said. She took the gun from her purse and put it in her coat pocket.
As she headed toward the door of her building, she said a man wearing a dark sweatshirt quickly passed her, blocking her path and preventing her from entering the building. She claims the man reached out to try to grab her.
She pulled her handgun from her coat pocket and shot the man once in the chest.
“As soon as I shot him, he immediately fell to the ground,” she said. The woman ran into her apartment building and immediately called 911 to report the incident.
A woman who had been in the car with the man reportedly helped him get back into the car and sped off. Police identified Bontaites at the hospital, where he was being treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. He has been charged with felony robbery.
The woman said that she has carried a gun in her purse for more than 10 years, but never had to use it until this incident. She is urging all women to take steps to protect themselves.
