Police are on the lookout for a man who they say attacked a woman in her bedroom and may have then set her home ablaze.
According to authorities, a 24-year-old woman was attacked by the intruder Monday morning. The woman was left dazed with broken fingers and a broken nose. She is being treated as a potential sexual assault victim.
"Because of the nature of her injuries, she was unable to give the account," says Chief Anthony Ambrose, of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. "She was incoherent. So that's why further testing was done to find out if she was sexually assaulted."
Investigators say the woman noticed fire after struggling with her attacker. She then contacted police.
A 24-year-old male tenant in the home was in another room at the time of the incident and slept through the entire ordeal.
Authorities aren't sure how the fire started and only know it involved some materials from the woman's bedroom. It is unclear whether the suspect was injured in the ordeal or if the victim was able to get any DNA evidence off him that could be of use to the investigation.