The young man accused of torturing three elderly women Friday in their Clay Township home was apprehended swiftly because of collaborative efforts among local police.

That was the message Monday from Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman, who led a press conference confirming a litany of charges against 22-year-old Dereck Taylor Holt, who is believed to have targeted the women solely because of his as yet unexplained hatred for members of the Mennonite faith.

"This is one of the most serious crimes that we've had in Lancaster County history, one of the most heinous crimes that didn't result in a homicide," Stedman said.

"I've been doing this for 20 years," he said. "To say that I'm shocked by this — we're all shocked by this — is an understatement."

Holt is accused of using a stun gun on the three sisters, who range in age from 84 to 90, as well as binding, then punching, slapping and kicking them over the course of two hours Friday morning, Stedman said.

Holt posed as an insurance salesman to gain entry to their house in the 300 block of Indiantown Road between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., Stedman said. He then "dropped the ruse," donned a mask and assaulted the women, he said.

The three women were left bound in the home for about four hours after Holt allegedly ransacked the house and fled the scene. If a relative hadn't stopped by late Friday afternoon, Stedman said, they very well could have died from their injuries.

"Imagine what's going through their minds. Beaten, stunned ... and abandoned to their fate," he said.

"We are extremely fortunate — and thankful — that we're not talking about three cases of homicide."

It would be speculation to guess whether Holt wanted or expected the women to die, Stedman said, "but he didn't care about them. I think that's pretty clear."

All three women remained in the hospital Monday, Stedman said. One suffered a heart attack following the incident, he said, another had a broken shoulder and the third suffered a "brain bleed," or hemorrhage.

"They're doing fairly well, under the circumstances," he said.

Charges against Holt include three counts each of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, ethnic intimidation, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment. He also is charged with one count each of robbery, burglary and theft.

He was arraigned by District Judge Janice Jimenez and committed to Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $1 million bail.

Because of the nature of the crimes, Stedman said, police were "concerned there was going to be a repeat occurrence" if the person responsible for them wasn't caught quickly.

Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Chief David Steffen said investigators initially "had no idea ... if we were facing a broader threat to our community."

Officers on Friday contacted members of the local Mennonite community to warn them of the possible danger, Steffen said.

That danger seems to have passed with Holt's arrest, Stedman said.

"We have no reason to believe this was anything but a solo actor," he said.

Stedman praised local law enforcement, particularly officers with Northern Regional and Ephrata, Lititz and Millersville boroughs, for working together to find and follow leads.

Holt was apprehended at 6 p.m. Saturday in Millersville, although Stedman did not reveal details of the arrest.

He declined to speculate on why these women were chosen for assault.

"Obviously, they were easy targets," Stedman said. "But this is still an ongoing investigation. This is really just the beginning."

Stedman said the depth of Holt's crime is "unfathomable."

"It doesn't get much more serious than this," he said. "He had plenty of time to think about this crime, to plan it out."

During the two-hour assault, Holt allegedly read passages from the Bible and vandalized the Bible belonging to his victims, Steffen said. He also combined and spread a variety of household chemicals — including bleach, vinegar, a pesticide and other cleansers — throughout the home, creating a hazardous environment for the women who lived there as well as police and medical personnel who responded to the scene.

Holt "essentially admitted" to the crimes after his arrest, Stedman said.

"He still has to be proven guilty in a court of law," the district attorney said. "We will do that. And he will face justice."

Holt is a 2008 graduate of Hempfield High School, newspaper records show.

According to his Facebook page, he attended Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C., where he studied religion and philosophy. Holt lists his home as Rimrock, Ariz., and he appears to be a cycling and outdoor enthusiast.

Stedman said he doesn't know when the suspect returned to the county, although he said Holt has family in the Lancaster area.

Holt's family is cooperating with the investigation, Stedman said.

A letter to the editor received Monday from Linda Espenshade — a Mennonite and a friend and former neighbor of the Holt family — painted a different picture of the accused.

Espenshade, a former Lancaster Newspapers employee, wrote of discussions between Holt and Espenshade's daughter about the Mennonite faith, and she said he had "a soft heart" and "an inquiring mind."

Holt was never a Mennonite, Espenshade wrote, but he also never expressed any rage toward members of the faith.

tknapp@lnpnews.com