A 12-year-old boy is in custody for allegedly tormenting an 80-year-old woman in Brooklyn, attacking her at least three times, authorities say.

The most recent attack was Saturday in front of the woman's home on West 7th Street in Gravesend, cops say. According to the Daily News, the boy allegedly punched her in the face.



Police say the victim's family saw she was hurt, asked her about the injury and reported it to authorities. She didn't report the first two attacks because of a language barrier, officials say.

In the first two attacks, the News reports the boy allegedly whacked the woman over the head with a metal rod and set her jacket on fire with a lighter. The paper says sources describe the boy as troubled.

There's no indication the boy suspected in the attacks knew the elderly victim. The boy may also be linked to the burglary of a Chinese restaurant in the area, authorities say.

It wasn't clear Wednesday afternoon if the boy had already been charged or was continuing to be questioned in the case.