MANSFIELD, Ohio — Mansfield police are searching for a man who stabbed a 74-year-old woman more than 30 times in her apartment Thursday morning in what detectives believe to be a “random attack.”
Police were called to the woman’s apartment in the 900 block of Brookfield Drive shortly before 7:30 a.m. According to police, the woman said a male entered her apartment and stabbed her multiple times while she was in bed.
The victim called her daughter who then dialed 911.
"I have a medical and police emergency. My mother just called me and said she got beat up. She's in her house right now bleeding," the daughter said.
The senior citizen was taken to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. Captain Chad Brubaker said she is stable, according to her family. Brubaker considers it a case of attempted murder and is amazed the victim survived dozens of stab wounds to her chest and back.
"I was very surprised that she's doing as well as what was reported to me by her family," Brubaker said. "The elderly population are the most vulnerable and that's why we're taking this very seriously."
Investigators have received tips from the public, including possible video footage that investigators are reviewing.
According to police, the victim described the suspect as a man in his late teens or early 20s. The victim also reportedly told police that she believed she heard another person in her apartment during the assault, police said. A description of that person is unknown.
Cody Thorpe, who lives in the apartment building across the parking lot from the victim’s unit, said he left for work early Thursday before his shift started at 3 a.m. At the time, nothing was amiss, he said. He later received a text message from his brother notifying him that numerous police officers and detectives were canvassing the complex for leads and information on the brazen attack.
“Typically, I walk out the door [for work in the morning] and hope there’s not a raccoon there. Now, I have to hope that there’s not some dude there with a knife,” Thorpe said. “It hits a lot different when it’s feet away from where you live. I’m honestly still shocked. I thought this side of town was relatively quiet too.”
Thorpe said attacks this brazen are few and far between in the sleepy apartment complex. The fact that detectives said it appears the attack was random is even more rare.
“I hope to God [the victim] pulls through,” Thorpe said. “Thirty stab wounds? I don’t think anybody can walk away from that [kind of attack] that easily, let alone someone of her age. I hope she gets better and I hope they catch the person responsible. It’s a tragedy.”
Anyone with information about the assault should contact the Mansfield Division of Police or Major Crimes Detective Dave Scheurer at 419-755-9748.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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