Held At Gunpoint, Woman Turns Table On Attacker During Attempted Robbery, Sexual Assault

UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) -- Police say a worker at an Upper Darby laundromat fought back after a suspect attempted to rob the business and sexually assault her. It happened on the 800 block of Garrett Road on Wednesday.

Authorities say a suspect entered the laundromat and demanded money from the safe. The worker told the suspect she did not have access to it, and police say that is when he forced her into a closet and demanded she take off her clothes.

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Officials say a struggle ensued and the suspect's gun discharged, shooting him.

For the last 10 years, seven days a week, Naou Morkhantha has worked the graveyard shift at the 24-hour laundromat. The incident that took place has her never wanting to return.

"No, I don't think I want to return there. I don't ever want to work there again," said Morkhantha.

23-year-old Daquan Brooms waits inside and as Morkhantha goes into the supply closet to get cleaning materials, he follows her, armed with a loaded 9 mm gun.

"He pushed the door open and he locked the door and he pointed the gun at me and he said strip all your clothes completely," Morkhantha recalled. "I was like I can't. I told him no. He asked me to do it again. I was like no."

With the handgun pointed at her head, she knew she had to fight. "I just dove for the gun. You know what, either live or die," she said. "It was a wrestling match. All of a sudden the gun went off. I knew I wasn't hit because I didn't feel anything."

Markhantha bursts from the room, the gun now in her hand, Broom behind her with his elbow shattered from the gunshot. When she runs to get help at the next door 7/11, Broom runs to a neighbor a few blocks away.

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"The story he told was that he was at a Chinese store and they had tried to rob a Chinese store and he was shot," the neighbor said. So the woman, a nurse, wrapped his arm. "He says ma'am, can you take the bullet out? I said, I'm in the field, but can't take no bullet out. Let me call the officers."

Police arrived seconds later and after Markhantha identifies him, he's arrested and sent straight to the hospital.