Marjorie Perkins was asleep when her teenage attacker entered her home in the town of Brunswick, Maine, around 2am on 26 July.

As she woke up, the young man, who had taken off his trousers, told her he was going to cut her.

"I thought to myself, 'If's he's going to cut, then I'm going to kick', so I jumped into my shoes," she told Brunswick Times Record.

Ms Perkins grabbed a chair to use as a shield, but was struck on the cheek and forehead during the encounter.

Eventually, the teenager grew tired and went into the kitchen, where he revealed he was "awfully hungry" and "hadn't had anything to eat for quite a while".

So, Ms Perkins gave him a box of peanut butter and honey crackers, two protein drinks and two tangerines.

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She called 911 and was talking to an operator when the teenager collected his trousers and left.

He left behind a knife, a shirt, a pair of shoes and a water bottle containing alcohol, she said.

The teenager was arrested nearby after being tracked by police dogs.

He faces charges of burglary, criminal threatening, assault and underage drinking.

Ms Perkins, who has become a bit of an international celebrity since the attack, said she still feels safe in the home where she's lived for 42 years, but worries about rampant crime.

"I think our law has just folded up," she said.

"People aren't afraid of anything anymore. They feel they can do as they please."