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“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.”

Photo by Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

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.”