Oak Bay Police say a 45-year-old woman was attacked in her home Tuesday morning and the attacker is still at large.
It happened in the 2500 block of Esplanade Road, across from Willows Beach, around 7:30 am. Police say the woman walked in on an intruder, a man who was a stranger to the victim, and he attacked her with an "edged weapon". There have been suggestions it was a machete but police were not able to confirm the exact type of weapon.
The attacker fled the scene and police and ambulance arrived shortly afterwards. The woman was treated on scene, and then taken to the hospital for surgery. Police say she suffered upper body wounds they describe as "significant."
Oak Bay Police were assisted by officers from Vic-PD and Saanich Police and they scoured the area for the attacker but nobody was found. During the search, Willows Elementary and Glenlyon Norfolk school were locked-down but that was lifted about 2 1/2 hours into the incident.
The suspect is described as a heavy-set man in his 20's, wearing a brown jacket, dark pants, a ballcap, and a blue and white handkerchief around his neck. Police hope people out walking along Willows Beach this morning witnessed something or saw which way the man fled.
A forensics team was on scene at the home for several hours collecting evidence. Saanich Major Crimes has taken over the investigation.