Detroit police search for man who abducted and raped woman

DETROIT (WJBK) - UPDATE: Police say they've arrested the suspect in this case. You can read more about that here. 

Detroit Police are searching for a man they say abducted a woman, took her to a vacant house and raped her multiples before she could escape. The 54-year-old woman is critical condition, and they haven't been able to get the full story from her. So now, they need the public to speak up.

"She was bent over, stomped over; she was half dressed," a neighbor told us who did not want to be identified. 

Right now, police don't know the exact location, but say a woman was walking to her SUV on Thursday at about 10 p.m. The suspect went up to her, forced her back into her vehicle and brought her to a vacant house on Schoolcraft. That’s where he sexually assaulted and stabbed her multiple times.

The woman finally escaped Saturday evening when her attacker left the house and took her 2002 Ford Explorer.

The neighbor we spoke with described more of what he saw.

"She jumped out the rear window. She ran halfway down Schoolcraft on Schaffer. She collapsed and the ambulance took her away, and that was the last I'd seen her."

One neighbor says several men had been at the house, for quite some time.

"There would be three or four out there sometimes,” said Nathaniel Hicks. “I don't know if all of them stayed there."

Another neighbor said, "I didn't hear any screaming. I didn't hear nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing out of the ordinary."

They continued saying, "They had been there for a while and evidently they were squatting. But there had been no irregular activity. Nothing out of the ordinary. You might see someone come and go. That was it."

Police only have a vague description right now of the suspect, and are asking for people in the community to speak up.

"I feel for the victim and I hope they get them," said a neighbor.

Another said the situation made them "very angry.” They continued saying, “So close to home. The community has to do what it can to stop this crime. We have to speak up. Somebody is going to speak up and they will get him."

Because the victim is in critical condition, investigators are not able to speak with her and get the full account of the crime. They also don't have a license plate for the victim's 2002 Ford Explorer.

If you have information that could help police in this crime, you are urged to call the Detroit Police Sex Crimes Unit at 313-596-1950. You can also call Crimestoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.