BECKLEY, W.Va. -- Police say a 70-year-old Fayette County woman fired a gun at a burglar after he punched her in the face.

The Register-Herald reports that police don't think any bullets hit the burglar, who fled on foot and remains at large.

Sheriff Steve Kessler says it happened just before 2 a.m. Thursday. The woman was awakened by her home alarm system, which also notified the county 911 center to dispatch police.

The woman grabbed her .38-caliber revolver and went to check her home when she encountered the intruder, who punched her. The woman, who was not identified, suffered a minor head injury but declined medical treatment.

Kessler says it could have been a lot worse if the victim had been unarmed.