Woman attacked inside south Charlotte apartment in front of her children

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police are investigating after they said two people broke into a south Charlotte apartment Thursday morning and attacked a woman in front of her children.

It happened at about 6 a.m. at the Lexington Greens apartment complex off Archdale Drive.

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The victim's sister-in-law, who did not want to be identified, told Channel 9 the woman's husband left to go to work but didn't lock the door.

Minutes later, two armed men wearing masks came in through the unlocked door, assaulted the woman and took off with cash.

One of the suspects pistol-whipped the woman, briefly knocking her out, and tried to sexually assault her, the sister-in-law said.

The victim's two children watched the attack in the living room.

“She has a really big and horrible bruise on her face and her head,” the sister-in-law said.

She was also beaten with a baseball bat and said the assailants threatened to kill her and her children if she said anything.

Sources said police believe the suspects had the intention of breaking into a different unit but got the address wrong.

The woman called police immediately after the attack and was taken to the hospital for treatment. She had minor injuries.

"She's not doing well," her sister-in-law said. "What she went through is very tough."

The same woman reported an attempted breaking and entering two days before the assault, police said.

Channel 9 spoke with the woman's mother who said her daughter told her it was the same men who broke in and attacked her on Thursday. She told her mother they must have waited for her husband to go to work before coming back to look for money.

Detectives have not confirmed if the two cases are connected.

Neighbors told Channel 9 they’re concerned with the suspects still on the street.

"If he does it one time, he's going to continue to do it,” Enrique Hernandez, who lives nearby, said.

No description of the suspects has been released.

Check back for updates on this developing story. 

Cox Media Group