This article discusses sexual assault. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call RAINN's national sexual assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for confidential support.

MADISON, Wis. —  A suspect is still on the loose after beating and sexually assaulting a University of Wisconsin-Madison student over the weekend.

The young woman, who Madison police said is in her 20s, is in critical condition. She was found Sunday around 3 a.m. in a residential neighborhood near Bedford and Wilson Streets in downtown Madison.

What You Need To Know

  • University of Wisconsin student remains in the hospital after being found “severely beaten” downtown early Sunday morning

  • Police said the woman was found around 3:20 a.m. along the 500 block of West Wilson Street

  • The victim was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries

  • Police said no arrests have been made; police said it appears a stranger committed the assault

  • Investigators are making a public plea for everyone who lives within four blocks to turn in any surveillance video they may have to police

Investigators are making a public plea for everyone who lives within four blocks to turn in any surveillance video they may have to police.

Police said they are making “significant progress” in the investigation. They declined on-camera interviews Tuesday, as did UW-Madison campus security.

Madison residents and UW-Madison students, who start the fall semester Wednesday, said they are in shock and disturbed by what happened so close to home.

Alan Knutson has lived near the intersection of Bedford and Wilson Streets for 35 years. He said he never thought he’d wake up to a crime scene.

“I got up and went down and there were like nine police cars and yellow tape,” he said. “This was like 4 o’clock in the morning.”

He said his thoughts are with the young woman who was attacked. He said it’s hard to believe something so awful happened in the neighborhood he calls mostly peaceful.

“Not saying things haven’t happened in the past, maybe once every year, once every two years,” Knutson said.

The Madison Police Department increased patrols in the area, and is urging people to be on high alert, especially at night.

UW-Madison freshman David Izzo said he is shocked this happened just days before classes start.

“Honestly, it was a little weird that it happened so early into me getting on campus,” he said.

He said he and his friends are among a lot of students trying to step up and support each other, to help everyone feel safe.

“For me and some other guys I know, it really comes down to protecting other people in the group as a whole, and just making sure we have head counts and stuff,” Izzo said.

Everyone hopes that whoever is responsible for this crime is found and faces justice.

“It’s really scary for everyone involved, everyone in the neighborhood, everyone in Madison,” Knutson said.

As the city of Madison waits on edge, police say they are making progress in the investigation.

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