2 Men Sought In Blind Woman's Rape

Police need your help in finding the men who raped, attacked and robbed a visually-impaired woman in her Northeast Philadelphia home.

Police now say it was two men who attacked the 50-year-old victim, who is legally blind, inside her Mayfair residence.

New details in the case show her attackers seemed to have a plan, police are working new leads, and a reward is now being offered in the case, Fox 29's Dave Schratwieser reported from outside the Philadelphia Police Department's Special Victims Unit.

But because the victim is visually-impaired, detectives have little to go on.

The woman was walking up the front steps to her house on Torresdale Avenue around 1:30 p.m. Sunday when the attackers struck. They forced her inside, tied her up and put duct tape over her mouth, then threatened and beat her.

"She was threatened with what she reports to be a knife and a gun," said Capt. John Darby, captain of the special victim's unit.

The victim, who lives alone, blacked out as the attackers ransacked the home, looking for specific items, causing police to believe at this point she may have been targeted.

About four hours later, the woman managed to crawl to the front door and call for help.

"By her indication, she doesn't know who the individuals were, certainly by voice. So, there are two strangers – these are two unknown offenders," Darby said.

The Citizens Crime Commission offered Monday a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the two suspects, for whom police are still searching.

"We're obviously, again, looking for any assistance we can to give us more direction on the investigation," Darby told the media Monday.

Police said they do have some forensic evidence at which detectives are looking. Schratwieser reported that the victim was hit in the face with a metal object.

Investigators looked at surveillance video from a camera in the neighborhood, and they also searched for more fingerprints or DNA evidence.

The 50-year old woman was being treated at Episcopal Hospital.

Anyone with information on the case is urged to call police or the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.