Indianapolis, IN – A retired Indiana sheriff’s deputy was viciously beaten with a baseball bat during a robbery outside his home on Wednesday night.

Retired Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Earl Pool had just pulled into his driveway after celebrating his 72nd birthday when he was ambushed from behind, WXIN reported.

“He got out of his car and went up to the front door and was assaulted with a baseball bat, pretty brutally,” his son, Jeremiah Pool told the news outlet.

Although Deputy Pool was carrying a firearm, he was blindsided by the attack, and had no time to react.

The assailant made off with several hundred dollars before fleeing the scene.

A neighbor called 911, and policed arrived to find the retired deputy bleeding from severe injuries to his head.

He was rushed to a local hospital, where he remained as of Thursday evening, according to WXIN.

“Four years ago, he had a tumor on his brain,” Jeremiah explained. “He got that operated on. When he was assaulted, it kind of crushed that back in, so we’re hoping and praying it will all get better.”

Jeremiah said that his father, who is also a retired Army veteran, has devoted his life to serving others.

“He’s a good guy who has touched a lot of lives and for this to happen…it’s just cruelty at its finest,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking, not only just because it’s my dad. It’s bad when it happens to an elderly person, but it could happen to anybody anywhere.”

Several neighbors in the area have surveillance cameras, but it was unclear whether any of them captured images of the suspect.

No arrests have been made.

According to police, burglars struck two other residences in the normally low-crime neighborhood within the past two weeks.

The victims in those cases were in their 50s and 60s, WXIN reported.