Police: Woman hurt in Belleville home invasion, suspect is being sought

An unknown suspect is on the run after Belleville police say he attacked and injured a woman who interrupted a burglary to her home in the 500 block of North 37th Street Thursday.

A statement posted to the department’s Facebook page said the woman entered the home shortly before noon and was attacked by a black man she described as heavyset and wearing a dark coat and jeans. After the attack, the man ran westbound from the home. Officers and a police tracking dog were unable to track the man down.

The woman suffered cuts and scrapes during the attack and was transported to a hospital, police said.

The police statement said, “it is clear that this residence was targeted for a specific reason” and noted that detectives are pursuing several leads.

Additional information about what was taken and why police believe the home was targeted was not immediately available, according to authorities.

Police urge any neighbors who saw the incident to call them at 618-234-1212.

News-Democrat

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Police: Woman hurt in Belleville home invasion, suspect is being sought."