Sheldon Elliott says the sounds kept getting louder and closer.

It was around 2 a.m. CST on Nov. 11 when Elliott, who lives in Saskatoon’s Rosewood neighbourhood, was roused from sleep by a commotion on his street.

He said he stepped out to investigate and spotted a person dressed head-to-toe in black, wearing a mask, taking a baseball bat to the cars, trucks and SUVs on his block. The culprit had just smashed Elliott’s wife’s GMC Terrain and was teeing up a tail light on his 2012 Dodge Ram work truck.

“I called out to them, ‘whoa!’,” he said.

“Then the individual turned around and headed back in my direction. I was a bit on the worried side because I didn’t know if the individual had a weapon other than the bat.”

Elliot said the person continued to advance.

“What are you doing?” Elliot asked.

“They wouldn’t accept me in the mental institution,” the person replied, according to Elliot.

At this point, he realized by the voice that he was talking to a woman.

“So that’s why you’re bashing peoples’ cars?” Elliot recounted saying. “They said ‘yeah,’ and then took a swing at me.”

Elliott said he dodged out of the way as the wooden bat crushed his second tail light. He rushed the woman and managed to grab hold of her and the bat, he said.

His wife called the police, and officers arrived and arrested the suspect, Elliot said.

A 42-year-old woman appeared in provincial court Tuesday facing charges relating to mischief under $5,000 (14 counts), possession of a weapon, concealing a weapon and assault with a weapon.

She is scheduled to return to court Wednesday.