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Elderly Sisters Injured In Violent Attack In Lancaster County

By Jericka Duncan

CLAY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- Three sisters, ages 84-90, are recovering from injuries they sustained in a Friday morning attack.

Police say the incident happened inside a home on Indiantown Road in Clay Township.

"One of them suffered a heart attack, one had a broken shoulder, and the other one has a brain bleed," said Lancaster District Attorney Craig Stedman.

Stedman says Derek Holt admitted to the crime. The 22-year-old has family in the area.

On Saturday, police arrested Holt and charged him with several assault related crimes including ethnic intimidation.

Police say Holt indicated he had rage against the Mennonite faith, and they say he read Bible passages before he vandalized the home.

Officials say the suspect posed as a salesman to get inside the home Friday morning, but soon after making his way in, he turned violent.

The District Attorney says Holt used a stun gun on the woman and kicked and punched the victims several times.

A family member found the women four hours later.

"At their ages and conditions, had no one come by, we would have been having a very different news conference," said Stedman. "We'd be talking funerals and their deaths."

Authorities say the three sisters are expected to be okay.

Holt remains behind bars.

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