The 71-year-old woman who authorities say was brutally attacked by a teenage hitchhiker at her Lefthand Canyon home this week remained in serious condition at Boulder Community Health on Wednesday — but her son says she’s beginning to recover.

“She is doing good,” Kurtis Leverentz said of his mother Katie Kulpa. “Her head still really hurts, but she is doing a lot better.”

Helping out Kurtis Leverentz started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help offset his mother Katie Kulpa’s medical bills. Learn more at gofundme.com/2q7qnt8.

Leverentz, though, said he’s frustrated that the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office didn’t release 16-year-old suspect Jeffrey Collins’ name or photograph until Wednesday, and said he believes the teen is wearing an ankle monitor.

He said the two teens who were with Collins, and ran to report the assault, told the first person they encountered that Collins was wearing a tracking monitor, which suggests he already was in trouble with the law.

“I understand the law has to protect minors, but this guy tried to kill my mom,” he said. “This is a whole new level.”

Carrie Haverfield, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman, said she could not confirm whether Collins was supposed to be wearing an ankle monitor.

“We have some restrictions on what we can release for juveniles,” Haverfield said. “We don’t want to tip our hand about too much information.”

Leverentz said he’s worried about the long-term recovery of his mother, and he’s set up a GoFundMe account to raise money to help offset her medical bills. The fund had raised about $8,600 as of 6 p.m. Wednesday.

“My main concern in that area is the effects of the skull fracture, and apparently there was some bleeding on her brain,” he said.

Leverentz added that his mother also suffered from two serious lacerations in the Monday night attack, one on her face and the other at the back of her skull.

He believes she was beaten with a wooden fire poker.

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday publicly identified Collins after obtaining a court order allowing them to reveal the minor’s identity.

Sheriff’s officials sought the public’s help in finding Collins on Tuesday, but did not initially release his name or picture because he is a minor. They only described him as white with blonde hair.

“The court is allowing for the release of the juvenile information because he is at large and considered dangerous,” officials wrote in a news release.

Leverentz said he’s frustrated that the sheriff’s office didn’t release Collins’ identity sooner.

The sheriff’s office has obtained an arrest warrant for Collins on charges of attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault on an at-risk adult with a $1 million bond.

Sheriff’s officials said Collins likely will be charged as an adult.

Deputies responded to the home in the 13000 block of Lefthand Canyon Drive at 8 p.m. Monday and found Kulpa, who had suffered a massive head injury, bone fractures and lacerations.

The sheriff’s office said the woman picked up Collins and two companions while they were hitchhiking near Ward. They were at her home for several hours before Collins suggested they assault her and steal her car, officials said.

His companions rebuffed the idea, according to the sheriff’s office, but a short time later he assaulted the woman. His companions ran to a neighbor’s home to report the assault.

Collins left following the assault and was last seen getting into a white hatchback that drove west on Lefthand Canyon Drive.

Leverentz said that it wouldn’t have been unusual for his mom to pick up a hitchhiker, and there wouldn’t usually be anything wrong with her doing so.

He added that she just likes to do nice things for people.

“This is a case of a bad apple in the basket,” he said. “I don’t know what this kid’s story is, but he definitely has a problem.”

Anyone with information on the teen’s whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 303-441-4444.

John Bear: 303-473-1355, bearj@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/jonbearwithme