A 52-year-old man has been arrested for a brutal home invasion and the sexual assault of two elderly sisters in a Dearborn neighborhood, according to local authorities. The suspect, who was apprehended at a Melvindale motel close to the crime scene, is believed to have acted alone and targeted the victims at random during the Sunday afternoon attack near Southfield Road and Outer Drive, FOX 2 Detroit reported.
As police and emergency medical services arrived at the scene they found the sisters, one in her 80s and one in her 70s, both severely beaten and sexually assaulted, Patch explained; community members assisting law enforcement to apprehend the suspect and testimony from a neighbor quickly indicates that one of the women managed to escape the home and seek help, which likely saved both their lives. Both victims are currently hospitalized due to the injuries inflicted by the assailant, whose name has yet to be released pending charges from the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.
Detectives used evidence gathered at the scene and eyewitness accounts to locate and arrest the suspect, who was also wanted in connection with a similar attack on a teen girl, The Detroit News stated. In response to the horrifying crime, Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin expressed his gratitude towards the community for their aid in the quick apprehension of the suspect and assured that "The crime committed in our community over the weekend is shocking and horrifying. I applaud and thank the community members who assisted our officers in swiftly bringing the perpetrator to justice and protected our residents from any further threat. As our investigation continues, our thoughts remain with the victims of this incident, their families, and their neighbors as they heal and recover from this trauma,"
Dearborn police have increased patrols in the affected neighborhood, one local expressing the new, uneasy reality: "You've got to look at people differently, and what are you doing on my block and do you belong here, you know? And that's no way to live," the neighbor told FOX 2. The investigation remains ongoing. Officials encourage anyone with further information regarding the incident to come forward and contact Dearborn police at (313) 943-2240.
