Blindfolded, bleeding and trapped in the basement crawl space of her burning home, a rape victim scrawled her attacker's name in blood with bound hands and then made a desperate escape, authorities said.
"Donnie next door," she scratched on the wall Wednesday, minutes after she was raped, robbed, slashed and beaten, police said.Her home had been set on fire and she had been left to die in the crawl space sealed shut with furniture, police said.
The 30-year-old woman was reported in fair condition Wednesday night at Denver General Hospital.
Her head throbbing from a hammer beating and her hand bleeding from a knife wound, she had managed to kick her way out of the crawl space and break her basement window with the knife with which she was stabbed, police said.
Half-nude, blood-caked and clutching the 12-inch knife, the woman scaled a 6-foot fence in her back yard and ran through her neighborhood screaming for help.
Police said terrified neighbors, unsure whether she was running from trouble or looking for it, shut their doors.
"People didn't want to get involved," said Detective Christine Wallis. But after hearing the woman's weak moans, one neighbor did phone police.
"I was in the back room working on my computer when I heard her scream, `Help me! Somebody help me!' " the unidentified neighbor told The Denver Post.
At the hospital, the victim underwent surgery on the sliced tendons in her hand.
Police were searching for the suspect, identified as Donnie E. Russell, 18. Detectives said they were drawing up arrest warrants charging him with attempted homicide, first-degree sexual assault, aggravated robbery, arson and felony theft.