A 72-year-old woman is recovering from face and head injuries as police continue to search for a knife-wielding intruder who attacked her in her home at a Rye retirement community, authorities said.
Police say the victim called 911 just after 2:15 a.m. Monday to report a man wearing a black sweatshirt invaded her home at The Osborn and attacked her. Authorities had already been on the campus after receiving a call from security 10 minutes earlier reporting a suspicious person the grounds.
The victim told police she woke up in the middle of the night, walked out of her bedroom into another room and encountered the intruder. She said the man grabbed a kitchen knife and the two struggled for the weapon. The victim managed to pull the knife away, but sustained several injuries to her head and face, including a swollen eye, in the tussle, police said.
The intruder fled before authorities could nab him. The woman was treated for her injuries at Greenwich Hospital and released.
"She suffered a significant beating, but apparently she was able to hold her own in the struggle," said Rye Police Commissioner William Connors.
Edie Felice, a resident at The Osbourne, said she and her friends were terrified to learn of the attack on one of their neighbors.
"I hope they punish the hell out of him really," Felice said. "That's going to destroy her for life. She's gonna be afraid to do anything."
Police investigating the home invasion noticed a bag containing a suspicious package left behind by the suspect. The package at first appeared to be a device with a fuse attached to it, police said.
Some apartments within the senior living complex were evacuated as a precaution and the bomb squad was called to the scene. The package turned out only to be golf balls and was not a threat, police said.
"We don't know what they're for what their intended use was, but it was not an explosive device," Connors said.
Authorities say there were no signs of forced entry in the home and it doesn't appear anything was taken.
Police have released a surveillance image of a person who they believe to be the intruder entering the building shortly before the attack.
Local
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the City of Rye Police Department Detective Division at 914-967-1234, or email police@ryepd.ryeny.gov .
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