ROBBER PISTOL-WHIPS 70-YEAR-OLD WOMAN.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - A 70-year-old Palmdale woman was held with a gun to her head and pistol-whipped Monday night during a home-invasion robbery, officials said.

The thieves ransacked the house and took the woman's home computer and two pairs of new shoes that she intended to give relatives as Christmas presents, officials said.

``She suffered bruises and a 3-inch abrasion to the side of her head from being pistol-whipped,'' said Deputy Dave Jennings of the Palmdale sheriff's station.

The woman called 911 about 11:20 p.m. when she heard intruders banging on the door and trying to force their way into her home in the 3100 block of Sand Stone Court. Seconds later the phone went dead.

When deputies arrived in what sheriff's officials said was a few minutes, the woman told them three men had kicked the door open and ordered her to sit on the couch.

She said the three wanted money and, when told she didn't have any, one of them held a gun to her head and kept demanding some. The other two ransacked her house. They pulled out drawers and overturned furniture as they went, but found no cash.

When the woman stopped responding to the gunman's demands for money, he became enraged and struck her at least once with the butt of the gun, deputies said.

The three grabbed what they could and fled from the home.

When deputies arrived, they futilely searched for the robbers.

The man who struck the woman was described as an African-American, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a medium build. He had no facial hair and was wearing a black beanie with black pants and a black jacket.

The other two were described only as African-American men in their 20s.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Palmdale sheriff's station at [phone].