Police Investigating West Philadelphia Abduction And Sexual Assault

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia police are investigating a violent early morning abduction and sexual assault in West Philadelphia.

The 20-year-old victim managed to break free from her abductor, 11 hours later in the Cobbs Creek section of the city.

Police have not yet made any arrests in this disturbing crime that has a community on edge.

Neighbors who live on the 5700 block of Larchwood Avenue say nothing ever happens on their street--until today.

"It was crazy," said Monique Wright. "I didn't expect to see nothing like that."

Around 3 p.m., the woman, beaten and bloody, escaped from a car where she was being held against her will. Wright heard the commotion outside her window.

"I heard her screaming. I heard her saying, 'Get off of me, get off of me!'" Wright said. "That's what made me come down here because I heard another guy, probably a pedestrian say, 'Get off of her!'"

"As I heard the yelling, I ran to the window and saw a black car speeding off," Tarell Pollard said.

Investigators say around 4 a.m., a man forced the woman into a vehicle at gunpoint, near 49th and Lancaster Avenue. They describe the car as a black sedan with tinted windows, with the rear driver's side window covered with a trash bag. Police say she was beaten, sexually assaulted and held for 11 hours.

"My mom was coming home and she told me that she saw a girl, bloodied face, just a shirt and duct tape on her ankles," Pollard said. "She looked like she had been beaten up and going through a lot."

Neighbors helped the woman and called police. Many are still in shock over the vicious crime.

"I'm just glad she got some help because that's scary," Wright said. "Stuff like that don't happen around here."

"Just after that, I went to go grab my sister and I told her to stay where she was and wait for me, Pollard said. "You just want to be careful. There's just too much going on out here."

The suspect is described as a black male, about 23 years old, with dreadlocks and a long beard.