WATERLOO - Two Waterloo women have been arrested in an attack that sent another woman to the hospital with broken bones Wednesday morning.

Jaqueline Suzanne Nieman, 31, of 623 W. Ninth St., and Roxanne Jean Porter, 27, of 705 Kunz Drive, were arrested Wednesday at their homes on charges of first-degree burglary, willful injury causing bodily injury and assault while participating in a felony.

Porter also was arrested on charges of obstruction of emergency communications for allegedly grabbing a phone from the victim and throwing it to keep her from calling for help during the assault.

Waterloo police were called to 915 W. Third St. about 12:30 a.m. and found that Porter and Nieman had entered the house and had begun hitting resident Karlene Ayers.

Ayers' head was slammed against a trunk, and she was kicked and choked with a rope until she almost blacked out, court records state.

Ayers was taken to Allen Hospital, where doctors determined she suffered a broken ear drum and ribs and had broken bones in her head, records state.

According to police, there was no known motive for the attack.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.