Woodworth clobbered the would-be thief with her bag until he ran away, police said.

"I didn't have my hearing aid in, and I thought he said that he was going to take my pulse," Woodworth said. "Then he said it again, that he was going to take my purse, and I said, 'No, you're not.'"

She fought off the man in a department store parking lot Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

Police arrested a 20-year-old suspect and charged him with robbery, felony theft, assault, aggravated menacing, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sgt. Tim Hanus said women of Woodworth's age shouldn't try to fight attackers. Woodworth said she didn't think her age was much of a factor.

"I'll be 92 in August and I guess I've got more nerve now than when I was younger," she said.

From The Associated Press