DOTHAN, W.Va. -- A 70-year-old woman shot at a burglar after he punched her in the face early Thursday in Fayette County, police said.

According to Fayette County Sheriff Steve Kessler, deputies went to the woman's home in the Dothan area just before 2 a.m. The woman called 911 to say that someone had broken into her home, that she had shot at the man and he had fled, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

The woman told police she woke up to the sound of a burglar alarm, grabbed a .38 revolver and walked toward the back door of her home. The suspect had cut open the back door's screen and broken a window in the back door, triggering the alarm, Kessler said.

After the suspect punched the woman in the face, she began shooting at the man, who then fled the scene on foot. A police dog could not track the suspect, and the woman could not describe the suspect to police, according to the news release.

Kessler said no blood was found at the scene, indicating that none of the shots fired had hit the suspect. The woman suffered a minor injury to her head from being punched, but she declined medical treatment. Police did not release her name.

Cpl. S.R. Morris and the Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau are investigating. Anyone with information may call Crime Stoppers at 304-255-7867 or the Fayette County Sheriff's Office at 304-574-4216, or visit the crime tips section of the sheriff's website at http://fayettesheriffwv.net.