NEW YORK (AP)  -- Police say an 86-year-old Queens woman fought off an intruder who broke into her home while she was in bed, slashed her and tried to cover her face with a pillow.


Glenn Schuck Reports

Police and relatives of Vivian Squires say she is in stable condition at Mary Immaculate Hospital. They say she was slashed in the back and the neck.

The woman's grandson, Kevin Beckles, said that she defended herself. He said, ``She's a strong woman and she's a fighter.''

Police say the man invaded her home shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday. The former preschool teacher called when he fled.

Beckles said her bedroom had been ransacked, her jewelry snatched and her purse emptied of cash. Police say the intruder took off in her sedan.