Suspect in brutal attack against senior denied bail, now charged with attempted murder h/t Geller Report

The man arrested after a shocking attack that left an elderly woman in critical condition with skull, brain and neck injuries is now facing an attempted murder charge.

Habibullah Ahmad, 21, who goes by the name Daniel, was also denied bail on Monday before his charge was upgraded from aggravated assault to attempted murder.

Anne Widholm, a 75-year-old grandmother and Riverside resident, remains in critical condition.

She was attacked Oct. 8 while taking a morning stroll along the Ganatchio Trail. She suffered multiple brain hemorrhages, a blood clot on the surface of her brain that was immediately threatening her life, extensive skull fractures, fractured vertebrae in her neck, a lacerated scalp and a badly bruised face.

More via Unprovoked attack on 75-year-old woman ‘the most severe beating I’ve seen,’ says Windsor surgeon

The shocking weekend assault of a 75-year-old woman left her with head injuries so terrible that the surgeon who treated her says they’re among the worst he’s seen in his medical career in Windsor.

“In my 12 years in Windsor, this is the most severe beating I’ve seen,” said Dr. Balraj Jhawar, a neurosurgeon at the Ouellette Campus of Windsor Regional Hospital.

Sara Anne Widholm, a grandmother and Riverside resident, remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon.

She has not awakened since she was found unconscious and battered on the Ganatchio Trail east of Riverdale Avenue and Little River on Sunday morning.

Speaking to the Star with the permission of Widholm’s family, Jhawar detailed a long list of damage.

She was brought to the hospital suffering from multiple brain hemorrhages, a blood clot on the surface of her brain that was immediately threatening her life, extensive skull fractures, fractured vertebrae in her neck, a lacerated scalp, and a badly bruised face.

“The worst skull fractures I’ve seen in my 12 years here in Windsor,” Jhawar repeated.

“I’ve submitted pictures to Windsor police. This is among the most brutal things I’ve seen in my career. … Her eyes were so bruised, they were swollen shut.”

Widholm’s emergency treatment required two major surgical procedures — one taking five hours, the other three hours.

The outcome remains uncertain. “She is improving — but she is not out of the woods by any means,” Jhawar said Tuesday at noon.

“I believe she will survive. I think we’re winning here. I think she has made some progress in the last 24 hours. I’m not anticipating any more surgery. But anything can happen.”

Jhawar said he is speaking publicly about the case because he believes the community needs to know.

He was told by Widholm’s family that her early-morning strolls on Ganatchio Trail are a Sunday ritual. She goes on them to pick up litter and keep the walking areas clean for others.

“This is a super good person. This is the calibre of woman we’re talking about here,” Jhawar said. “She goes around cleaning up other people’s garbage, out of the goodness of her heart.”

Windsor police are acknowledging the extreme nature of this unprovoked assault in a popular park area.

“This was, without a doubt, a vicious, vicious attack,” Windsor police spokesman Sgt. Steve Betteridge said Tuesday.

“It’s very alarming to see an attack of this nature, at that time of day, at that location.”