A quiet East Oahu neighborhood was rocked yesterday morning after an elderly woman and her caretaker were found badly beaten in an apparent home invasion.

Police were still looking last night for whoever assaulted the 40-year-old man and 85-year-old woman in their ocean-view home at 1451 Halekoa Drive in Waialae Nui. Detectives opened a first-degree robbery investigation.

At about 3:30 a.m., officers responding to a report about suspicious circumstances at the home found the two assaulted by unknown suspects. The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and the woman in serious condition.

Neighbors identified the two as Mary Lee Koskinen, a frail woman who apparently has dementia, and her caretaker Matthew Edmondson.

Neither has family in Hawaii, they said.

Neighbor Leona Weightman said the hospital told her Koskinen's condition had improved to stable and that Edmondson might survive.

Neighbors remained tense yesterday with the suspects still on the loose. Weightman said she would not leave her children alone in the house.

Several neighbors said they suspect Edmondson was using drugs because of his change in appearance and because of suspicious activity.

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Linda Sallop, who lives several houses down, said the activity at the house had been suspicious as many people visited at all hours.

Weightman's daughter, Gabby, 17, said, “;We think he kind of got into drug use, so we kind of stopped contact with them. Neighbors pretty much know that, like, he was doing drugs.”;

Leona Weightman said the two were friends who had moved into the home about 10 years ago, and Edmondson cared for Koskinen.

When the Weightmans moved in next door four years ago, Edmondson became a family friend, planning graduation and other parties for the family's children and eating dinner together.

“;We used to be with him all the time,”; Leona Weightman said. “;He was so organized; he always got them their gifts for their birthdays.”;

But things changed about a year ago. Edmondson, who had been in good shape, gained weight, stopped walking his dogs, dressed shabbily and had scratches on his face and arms.

“;When things went awry over there, we stopped communicating,”; she said.

Weightman realized something was wrong after a bizarre kitchen fire in Koskinen's home about two months ago. She said a box filled with papers was left on two burners that were on high.

Gabby Weightman said she believes her neighbors knew their attackers because after she was awakened by her dog barking, she never heard a break-in or anyone scream.

She heard some noises as if people were walking, but then everything suddenly became quiet. Neighbors on the other side called the police because they heard a woman scream.

Leona Weightman said her husband had gone into the house with police to get the dog. That was when he saw Edmondson in the bed with severe facial injuries and Koskinen lying in the hallway as if she was trying to get to Edmondson.

“;They beat him in his bed,”; Leona Weightman said.

“;I think she (Koskinen) was trying to get to Matt,”; she added. “;I think she heard something going on, so she went to see what was going on.”;

Such a crime is unusual in the older neighborhood, Sallop said.

“;We're just worried people (the suspects) might come by,”; she said.