Grandmother, 78, holds man up with a SHOTGUN after she catches him trying to break into her house in the middle of the night

A Washington state grandmother has been hailed a hero for holding a man at gunpoint after he tried to burglarize her house.

The gun-toting gran - known only as 'Sandy' - was inside her Spanaway home on Sunday night when her dog, Booboo, began barking.

'At that moment I was scared to death, I really was,' the 78-year-old told local news network KIRO on Thursday.

Sandy rushed to the front of the residence where she found discovered a young man trying to break in to the premises.

The pair locked eyes through the window, and the spooked man started to flee.

Washington state grandmother 'Sandy' has been hailed a hero for holding a man at gunpoint after he tried to burglarize her house

But the fearless grandmother made sure the would-be intruder wasn't going to disappear into the night.

'I said, 'Oh, no you don't. You stay right there.' And I reached over and got my shotgun and I cocked it,' she recalled to KIRO.

Sandy pointed the legally-owned firearm at the aspiring burglar as she dialed 911.

'When he got to the bottom of the steps I told him to sit down and I just stood there with the shotgun waiting for the police to come,' she stated.

While Sandy was initially spooked by the encounter, she started to feel in control of the situation.

Sandy knew there was trouble at the front door when her beloved pup, Booboo (pictured), began barking

Fearless Sandy made sure the would-be intruder wasn't going to get away with his attempted crime and disappear into the night

'I was totally calm, really and truly. 'I said [to the man ]: 'You know, I've got grandchildren your age.'

The gun-toting gran even ended up describing the encounter as 'empowering'.

'After he was so meek and mild and sat down like I told him to, empowering! I felt like at least I was in charge, I wasn't afraid,' she said.

Police promptly arrived at the home and arrested the man.

But softhearted senior citizen decided not to press charges, and the attempted home invader was subsequently released.

The story has been shared on Twitter, with Sandy winning a slew of fans.

'Good for her!' one cooed.

'Awww. She let him go with no charges. Now that’s a feel good story,' another wrote.

Sandy's home in Spanaway, 40 miles south of Seattle, is pictured

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