ROTTERDAM — Two women accused in the beating and robbery of an elderly woman last fall, a crime that made national headlines, admitted to the act on Wednesday in a court appearance.

Tiffany Tolliver and Dominique Lucas each pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree robbery, a high-level felony. Tolliver is to receive 18 years in state prison, while Lucas is to receive 16.

The women admitted to following the 88-year-old woman on Sept. 8 from the Ocean State Job Lot store off Route 7 to the woman’s apartment in Rotterdam. Tolliver threw bleach on the woman in an attempt to blind her and prevent their identification, authorities said at the time. The two then stole the victim’s pocketbook. They were arrested a short time later as they left a store where they had used the victim’s credit card to make purchases, authorities said.

The case struck a nerve with many.

“It is a crime that touches the heart of anybody who is elderly or who cares for someone who is elderly,” Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney said after the pleas. “It’s the kind of thing that we needed to make a strong statement about.”

The pleas averted scheduled pretrial hearings, where statements from the women admitting to the crimes were to be read.

Instead, first Lucas and then Tolliver accepted plea deals.

Lucas, 21, was subdued as Schenectady County Court Judge Karen Drago took her plea.

Prosecutors believe it was Tolliver who led the act and threw the bleach, with Lucas following. That was reflected in the proposed shorter sentence for Lucas.

Lucas was represented by attorney Sven Paul. At one point during the plea, Paul pointed out that his client was sorry for what she had done and was taking responsibility through her guilty plea.

“I think that very fact speaks to the remorse she feels,” Paul told Drago.

Carney walked Lucas through the crime, asking about following the victim and then the beating.

Lucas said Tolliver had the bleach.

“She threw it in the lady’s face,” Lucas said.

That element was a sticking point later with the 22-year-old Tolliver.

The pleas were taken in succession, but in different courtrooms. Tolliver could be heard earlier loudly discussing her options with her attorney Brian Mercy.

She was calm during her plea, until Carney got to his questioning and the bleach.

She initially admitted to the robbery, but denied throwing the bleach. After a brief recess for further talks with her attorney, she admitted it.

Tolliver’s sentence was trimmed due to help she gave to the Queens District Attorney’s Office in an unrelated case, Carney said in court. He had originally wanted 20 years, but gave some consideration to the assistance given and cut two years off.

Neither Lucas nor Tolliver were asked why they committed the crimes.

ONE ADDICTED

During routine competency questioning leading up to the plea, Lucas admitted to addictions to heroin and cocaine. Tolliver denied any addictions.

Carney said later he believes they simply needed money, and targeted the victim because of her age and because she looked like she was wealthy.

He credited quick work from Rotterdam police with making the arrests and bringing the case to a quick conclusion.

He has noted that Officer Michael Caffarella, working on a vehicle description and a hunch, arrested the two as they exited the A.J. Wright store in the Hannaford Plaza. They had just purchased baby clothes, among other items, using the woman’s credit cards.

Both Tolliver and Lucas are to be sentenced on July 8. The sentencings are to be at different times to prevent them from coming into contact with each other.

At the sentencings, the victim will have the opportunity to make a statement. Carney said she is still contemplating whether to do so.

She has since largely recovered from her injuries and is in good physical shape. She still drives and goes for walks.

She has had some dental work on teeth loosened in the attack. Her vision has returned.

Her spirits, Carney said, are quite good.

“But the thing that bothers her the most,” Carney said, “is that she doesn’t have quite the same sense of peace of mind that she had.

“I’ve told her that’s not unusual for any crime victim to feel,” Carney said, “but it bothers her.”