Boston

New Hampshire Woman Fights Off Burglar With Pepper Spray

Police arrested 31-year-old Cleon Hoggard, who they say appeared to be on drugs

A New Hampshire woman says she and her boyfriend are feeling lucky to be alive after she fought off an intruder with pepper spray.

The woman lives on the third floor of an apartment building at 657 Chestnut Street.

She’s still so shaken from the altercation Monday morning, she asked us not to identify her.

In an interview Tuesday morning, she told NBC10 Boston that since moving to this Manchester neighborhood, she’s carried a bottle of pepper spray on her keychain.

“This little thing saved my life,” she said.

It was about 9 a.m. Monday when she heard her boyfriend screaming for help in their kitchen.

She said he was struggling with a stranger who had barged through their back door.

“He was getting punched in the chest,” the woman said. “He was getting beat up, he is a little guy, he only weighs 120 pounds.”

So, she took matters into her own hands. Before calling police she grabbed her pepper spray.

“I just started spraying him,” she said.

Police say it worked.

“It scared the assailant off and he was located a few minutes later, shirtless covered in pepper spray, by some of our officers,” said Manchester Police Lt. Brian O’Keefe.

They arrested 31-year-old Cleon Hoggard who they say appeared to be on drugs.

The woman who fought him off is convinced that if it weren’t for her pepper spray, her story would have a different ending.

“I’m just lucky I bought this,” she said. “I guess you could say I feel like a hero, like Wonder Woman I guess.”

Hoggard is facing a burglary charge and waived arraignment Tuesday. He’ll face a judge at a later date.

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