A man has been arrested after police say he attacked a husband and wife in their Maine home.
Robert and Margaret MacDonald, both 77, are recovering in a hospital after they were assaulted Wednesday morning at their home in Bridgton. Police say 37-year-old Michael Holden broke in and hit them in their heads with a statue.
Bridgton Police Chief Richard Stillman said officers who responded were shaken up by the "absolutely gruesome" scene.
The couple went outside around 8 a.m. Wednesday to pick up a newspaper. Within minutes, Stillman said Holden entered through a door they had just unlocked, grabbed a statue and hit the man and woman in the head.
The victims were seriously injured before the suspect fled to another outbuilding on the property.
Once 911 was called, police arrived in four minutes to care for the victims and search for Holden, who was found after approximately 30 minutes outside the outbuilding, behind an air conditioning unit. He was promptly arrested.
Both MacDonalds were taken to a hospital in Bridgton before being taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Margaret MacDonald was brought there by medical helicopter.
Thursday, the couple remained in the hospital and people in Bridgton were wishing them couple a speedy recovery.
Judy Alderman, a volunteer at the Rufus Porter Museum, recalled a fundraiser the MacDonalds hosted at their home, which she described as being full of all kinds of art.
"They were gracious enough to invite us in," she said.
Others, like Stillman and Judy Oberg, of Oberg Insurance and Real Estate, knew the couple more personally. Stillman called them "genuinely nice people" who are "fun to be with."
"This has been a longstanding family that has supported the community greatly," said Oberg. "We really are sending our best."
As of Thursday afternoon Maine Medical Center had listed Margaret MacDonald in fair condition and Robert in satisfactory condition, according to a spokeswoman.
Holden is scheduled to appear in court Friday and faces multiple charges, including elevated aggravated assault.
Police say he has a criminal record that dates back years for crimes like theft.
They would not comment on his mental or physical state at the time of the attack, citing an ongoing investigation, led by the Maine State Police major crimes unit.
