A University of Wisconsin-Madison student was brutally beaten by an unknown assailant in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to Madison police.
“The woman was found along the 500 block of W. Wilson St. around 3:20 a.m.,” according to a police incident report. “A person living in the area called for police after noticing the victim was severely beaten.”
Police report the victim was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, where she remained in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon. No arrests have been made in what authorities called a “stranger assault.”
Law enforcement investigators are canvassing neighbors and businesses near the crime scene, asking for surveillance video between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Sunday, police said in a statement posted to the department’s Facebook.
“I have authorized a full complement of police resources to bring this person or persons to justice,” Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said Sunday to reporters.
A neighbor said the young woman was walking alone on a sidewalk before being forced into an area between two houses at Bedford and Wilson streets, according to a report from ABC affiliate WISN.
Someone heard screams for help and called police, the report noted.
The UW senior was strangled, beaten and sexually assaulted said an individual who claimed to be a friend of the victim, according to the WISN report.
Patrols in this area have been increased for the time being, according to the police.
City residents were encouraged by police to walk in groups when possible, especially at night, and to let someone know when leaving and arriving at their destination.
The victim’s university posted a statement to its website regarding the attack. It also emailed students, according to a report from Fox News.
“We are deeply concerned for this individual, keeping them and their family in our thoughts and providing all possible support,” UMW Dean of Students Christina Olstad said in a statement.
“The suspect or suspects are still at large.”
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