A woman is clinging to life in the hospital. Police say she was brutally assaulted and possibly raped in the middle of Downtown Visalia.
Sergeant Amy Watkins said, "When officers arrived, the victim was alive, unconscious and non-responsive."
A city worker found the woman around 4:30 a.m. Monday morning. She was near a doorway at the Fugazzis restaurant. Emergency crews rushed her to a Fresno hospital. Officers fanned out, searching for surveillance video and the person responsible.
"We did locate one person of interest who is being interviewed at this time." Watkins added, "Right now we're looking for any type of evidence that can lead us to the suspect of this brutal crime."
Police are trying to figure out who the woman is. Watkins says she didn't have ID on her or a cell phone. She says the woman could be in her 40's but swelling and lacerations on her face make it hard to tell.
A woman who works nearby says she's worried and she didn't want to be identified. "I've been out here for years and I've never had this kind of threat before, this fear come over you but it's a serious reality."
At this point, investigators are trying to gather information to trace the victim's steps and hoping someone with information will come forward.
If you have any information, please call Visalia Police.
TXT 24
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