HARRISBURG - A 14-year-old girl walking to school in Harrisburg Friday was grabbed from behind, choked and sexually assaulted in an ambush-style attack, according to new details released by police Monday.

The victim suffered serious injuries in the 7:40 a.m. attack in the 2300 block of Market Street, across the street from the Bellevue Tower apartments, police said.

The assailant may have intended to kill the victim, said Harrisburg Police Chief Thomas Carter.

"She was choked out a couple of times," Carter said. "I have no doubt the perpetrator may have possibly tried to kill her."

Police were checking other crime reports to look for similar attacks but said they had not yet found any.

The man threatened the girl with a weapon but didn't show one, police said.

Investigators said they weren't able to get a full description of the suspect because he attacked the victim from behind.

Police described the suspect as an adult black male with a gray and black beard, wearing a tan sweatshirt, jeans and black and white Michael Jordan sneakers with a black baseball cap.

Since the attack occurred during daylight and in a relatively busy area, police were hopeful that someone may have information or a better description of the man that could be useful in their investigation. Police secured a tip line to receive anonymous phone calls at 800-262-3080. A reward of up to $2,000 is available.

Police are taking an "all-hands-on-deck" approach to catching the attacker, Mayor Eric Papenfuse said.

Officers normally assigned to desk jobs have been put in police cars to patrol schools and walking routes to schools.

Carter said he met with the victim, who he described as a strong person.

"The victim will be OK," he said. "My heart goes out to the victim."

Meanwhile, police are "doing everything we can to bring the person responsible for this attack to justice," Carter said. The department asked for assistance from Dauphin County to provide extra investigators with specialized training and expertise.

"We will not stop," Carter said. "We will not sleep. We will not rest."