A 78-year-old woman was sitting in her house in the 3100 block of Shelly Wednesday night when a visitor of sorts surprised her.

She reported a young, black male broke through her screen door.

“The male subject grabbed the victim’s neck,” Sgt. Doug Stewart said. “He began to choke her.”

The subject took the woman’s car keys, house keys and a can of snuff. Authorities said the assailant did not take any cash.

Whoever attacked the 78-year-old woman will be charged with robbery in the first degree when the person is captured.

The Code of Alabama defines the crime as a person who “causes serious physical injury to another.” The charge carries the heaviest degree of felony possible in Alabama – class-a.

If convicted, the person would receive prison time between 10 years and 99 years and HAVE to pay a fine up to $60,000.

Police are asking for anyone with information about the 9 p.m. attack to contact them.

Authorities can be reached at the Secret Witness Line at 874-2190 or Crime Stoppers at 877-3530. Crime Stoppers pays up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest. Crime Stoppers and the Secret Witness Line are both anonymous.