Intruder attacks disabled man in Lowell

LOWELL, Mass. (WHDH) -- A woman jumped into action when an intruder started attacking her disabled husband inside their Lowell home Thursday night.

Steve Nazaroo and his wife were watching the Olympics in their living room when he noticed his car door was wide open. He was about to see what was going on when a shirtless man barged in through the front door.

"’Get out!’ and he says, ‘wait, I got to use your bathroom, can I use your bathroom,’ so I figure alright, let him use the bathroom. Meanwhile, I called 911," Steve Nazaroo said.

The Nazaroo's say the man began tearing up their bathroom, ripping the shower curtain, and breaking the towel rod. When he left the bathroom, he became even more violent.

"So he hits me, starts swinging at me, takes three or four punches. I hit him a couple of times, knock him back a little bit," Steve Nazaroo said.

But don't mess with Christine Nazaroo's husband.

"She comes running in the front door, jumps on his back, gets him in a head lock, drags him down, and sits on him until the police come," Steve Nazaroo said.

"My husband has had open heart surgery last December, he's on dialysis, he just had cataract surgery, you don't touch my husband,” Christine Nazaroo said.

Police arrived and immediately arrested the 48-year-old man. Officers say they were more than impressed by the 62-year-old's choke hold.

"You would be surprised what people can do when they're mad. That's what happened here, she was protecting her husband,” said Captain Kelly Richardson.

"He kept nudging me, saying, ‘loosen up,’ and every time he did I just squeezed tighter, and I was swearing at him that you don't touch my husband," Christine Nazaroo said.

"Very strange, but I’m lucky my wife was here. She saved the day for me, she's my hero,” Steve Nazaroo said.

Court documents say Dennis Riel was on high-test weed.

Riel is still in jail waiting to post bond.