A Columbia man probably thought the woman he stabbed more than 20 times was dead as he fled her apartment early Sunday, according to Lancaster County's district attorney.

Instead, despite a cut to her throat — and her chest, back, arms, legs and wrist — the 29-year-old woman managed to call 911.

She told a dispatcher in the 12:23 a.m. call she'd been stabbed and believed she was dying, according to police.

"It's pretty clear, I would say from the evidence we have, that she fought for her life based on the wounds that she had," D.A. Craig Stedman said at a news conference Tuesday where authorities announced they'd charged the Columbia man in the attack.

News conference video:

"And he clearly was trying to kill her in as many ways as possible," Stedman said. "And may well have thought that he had killed her when he left."

The woman, who's name is being withheld because Lancaster Newspapers typically doesn't release crime victim's identities, was being treated at Lancaster General Hospital.

The hospital was unable to release her condition Tuesday; authorities said she was expected to survive.

Lancaster City Police Chief Keith Sadler said, "Without knowing her personally, I would venture to say she's probably a brave, strong young woman to even survive an attack like that."

Elswart Richard Bodden, 23, of the 300 block of South Third Street, was charged with attempted homicide and related crimes Tuesday. He had initially been charged with fleeing the scene on Monday.

Stedman called the attack "one of the most vicious, horrifying, terrible crimes that we have had. This is a stranger home invasion ..."

The woman was home alone during when authorities said Bodden broke into the second floor apartment at 422 W. Orange St.

Because of the woman's condition, authorities said they've been unable to piece together exactly what happened. The weapon she was stabbed with hasn't been recovered.

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As police arrived at Orange Street, Bodden was driving away in a Honda Civic and rammed an unmarked police car and intentionally drove toward two officers before speeding west on Columbia Avenue, according to police.

Police followed the car to Stone Mill Plaza in Lancaster Township where they called off the chase because the situation had become too dangerous, officials said. Police were unable to get the registration during the chase.

Police subsequently were able to track down the car using a license plate image of the Honda captured earlier by a police officer on patrol using a cruiser equipped with a license plate reader. The license number was traced to Bodden's girlfriend.

Stedman credited police for their forensic work in obtaining the license plate and a fingerprint.

Because the woman didn't know her attacker, "We knew this was going to be extremely challenging right from the beginning," Stedman said.

The girlfriend told police Bodden had been using her car and told her he fled police because he ran into a police car and didn't have a license.

Police also recovered her cell phone, which Bodden had been using, at the victim's apartment, along with a pack of Newport cigarettes. Bodden's print was found on the pack, according to police.

Bodden was taken into custody at an Ephrata apartment about 7:45 p.m. Sunday.

Police said Bodden admitted to hitting the police car and fleeing, but denied being in the woman's apartment.

However, an acquaintance of Bodden's told police Bodden showed up at his house early early Sunday morning and told him he'd committed a burglary and fled police, according to police. Police said Bodden told the man he'd gotten a book bag, a purse, a gun and money.

Several guns belonging to the victim's boyfriend had been in their apartment, but a Glock .40 caliber handgun were missing, along with $500. They have not been recovered.

There's no connection between the boyfriend and Bodden, police said.

Besides attempted homicide, Bodden is charged with aggravated assault, robbery and burglary in the attack. He's also charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and fleeing and eluding police.

He was arraigned before District Judge Bruce Roth and is being held on $1 million bail in the Lancaster County Prison. It was unclear if he had an attorney.