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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- An 82-year-old California man is being hailed a hero after he fought off a would-be robber who attacked his wife.

Christina Youkhaneh, 76, was nearly killed after a female burglar went on the attack and started clubbing her in the head with a stick, KPIX reports.

The robber then tried to get inside the home, but Youkhaneh quickly locked her out.

“I locked the door, and I ran in and told my husband, ‘Catch her, she broke my head,’” Christina Youkhaneh said.

Christina's husband, Yousef Youkhaneh, jumped into action.

By then, the intruder was swinging a sharp garden tool. That's when the elderly man grabbed the tool from her and started fighting.

"She tried [to] bite me and gouging me with [her] fingers. Really, she fought for running away, like [a] tiger,” he said.

The 82-year-old says the struggle continued to the sidewalk. Nearly exhausted, he asked bystanders for help, but no one stepped in.

The man held the suspect for several more minutes until deputies came.

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

Yousef is a former champion weightlifter. He still does modified workouts to keep his strength.

"Maybe I am right, maybe I am wrong, but I do my duty. I must protect myself, my family, my home, my country,” Yousef said.

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