Authorities in New York say a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of blinding his grandmother during a violent attack at her home this week.

According to Fox News, Michael and Sheila Grief began arguing over a withdrawal from the latter’s debit card. The suspect was accused of drawing $1,000 too much from his 78-year-old grandmother’s account.

As the altercation became increasingly violent, police say Sheila Grief attempted to seek assistance by running to a neighbor’s home.

“There, Mr. Grief, using his thumbs, gouged his grandmother’s eyes one at a time with such force that the globes of her eyes ruptured, both of them,” read a statement from the Suffolk County Police Department.

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Police noted that the commotion attracted the attention of the nearby resident Sheila Grief had attempted to contact.

“The neighbor who heard the victim screaming and banging on the door came outside, found her on the ground and called the police,” the agency reported.

Officials say the victim was transported from the scene to an area hospital where she underwent emergency surgery that lasted about eight hours. She is expected to be permanently blind as a result of the attack.

Michael Grief was reportedly arrested at the scene and jailed with cash bail set at $500,000. If convicted of the criminal counts against him, he could spend 25 years behind bars.

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[Featured image: Michael Grief, Suffolk County Police Department]