Daniel McGown, 73, said his Akron home was also broken into a few days earlier. During that break-in, the thief got away with guns, ammunition and a laptop.
McGown, a retired attorney, said this time, he had his pistol ready.
"They picked the wrong house," he said. "I pointed the pistol at him and said, 'If you don't move, I won't shoot you.'"
The intruder, identified by police as 51-year-old Thomas Gaffney, is charged with burglary.
Police in Akron said they are working to figure out if Gaffney is also connected to the previous incident.