A rural Manteca woman, alone in her bathroom, fled out the back door of her home to the safety of a neighbor as an alleged woman burglar with three dogs entered her front door.

San Joaquin County Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Les Garcia said the attempted burglary occurred in the 12900 block of South Austin Road on Thursday at about 3:30 p.m. The resident was startled at the presence of a stranger who had entered an unlocked front door and began wandering through her home.

She ran across the road to a neighbor’s where she called the Sheriff’s office.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they reportedly heard the woman in the back of the residence, ordering her to the rear porch with their verbal commands.  Deputy Garcia said the suspect retreated back inside the home, making threats that she possibly had a gun.

A perimeter of officers was established in an attempt to get the woman to exit the house.  Deputy Garcia said she finally came out the rear eastside door of the residence and was taken into custody by deputies.

It was later determined that she went through several cabinets and drawers throughout the kitchen and bathroom of the residence. Laura Cox, 63, was arrested for burglary and resisting arrest.  Her three dogs were turned over to Animal Control.

She is being held in county jail in lieu of $53,000 bail.  No court date has been scheduled.