SAN JOSE, Calif. >> An 82-year-old man fought off a woman 30 years his junior who had just attacked his wife with a wooden object outside their Northern California home.

Yousef Youkhaneh was inside his San Jose home Sunday when he heard his wife scream from the backyard. Christine Youkhaneh, 76, had been hit on the head by a 50-year-old transient who authorities say was trying to break into the house.

He hurried out and scuffled with the suspect, holding onto her ankle until Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputies arrived.

“More than 10 minute, we fight with each other. She was like tiger, really! Very strong,” he told news station KTVU as he showed the bruises on his arms.

The television station reports they started fighting in the back of the house and ended up in the front. His wife had to have stitches.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office posted a photo of deputies with Yousef Youkhaneh on Twitter, saying that “many times we meet citizens we see as heroes.”

Many times we meet citizens we see as heroes. Yousef, 82, defended his wife from an attacking burglar & held the suspect till we arrived! pic.twitter.com/Aj006pPrIN

— SantaClaraCoSheriff (@SCCoSheriff) May 29, 2017