the attacker had been hoping to

A Brooklyn woman, 24, who was viciously slashed in the face on her daily commute to work says her attacker 'wanted to scar her.'

Pretty Amanda Morris was walking along Seventh Avenue in Manhattan on the way to her job at Chelsea Whole Foods when she became aware of a 'suspicious' man ahead of her.

The attacker had slowed down to let her pass him but turned and lunged at her, slashing a blade across her face.

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Amanda Morris (pictured before the attack, left, and after, right) was viciously slashed in the face on her daily commute to work

Covered in blood, she ran into the nearby 24-hour Malibu Diner on Seventh Avenue near West 24th Street for help, saying she was attacked on the sidewalk.

Morris said on her Facebook page today that she'd had a bad 'gut feeling' about the stranger, who appeared to her to be drunk or on drugs, from the moment she spotted him.

Today was a difficult day that I never thought I would have to go through,' she wrote. 'I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

'He wanted to scar me, and that's why he went for my face,' she told NY Post.

The Whole Foods employee was on her way to work at about 5.30am in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York when she was slashed.

Morris was on her way to work on Wednesday morning was attacked by a stranger at about 6am in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City

The stranger runs up to the 24-year-old who was on her way to her job at Whole Foods, and slashes her in the face

He then flees, as Morris runs into a nearby diner to seek help after the attack. Witnesses said she was bleeding and had facial injuries

'I felt like I got punched in the face,' she told the newspaper. 'It was like, 'oh that's weird, why would someone punch me?' Suddenly blood was all over my hands, and I started crying.'

Morris ran into the diner for help, saying she was attacked on the sidewalk, where clientele and staff confirmed the wound must have been done with a knife or razor.

'I was freaking out, and I didn't really know what to do,' she added.

Witnesses said she appeared to have facial injuries and that she was bleeding, according to NBC New York.

'She was bleeding a lot, she was crying she walked in and she said that somebody slashed her in the face,' Alex Ramirez, who works at Malibu Diner, told CBS New York.

'She said that she was walking by going to her job and and then a person came out from out of nowhere,' Ramirez added.

Morris believes her attacker had intentionally meant to scar her, and that was why he had slashed at her face

Morris (pictured before the attack) ran into the nearby 24-hour Malibu Diner on Seventh Avenue near West 24th Street for help, saying she was attacked on the sidewalk

Morris was taken to Bellevue Hospital where she received seven stitches and was then released

A member of staff from the diner then helped Morris down the street to her place of work where her supervisor called 911.

She was taken to Bellevue Hospital where she received seven stitches and was then released.

Detectives are looking at surveillance footage in hopes of identifying the suspect.

The shocking footage reveals the speed with which the man, who was casually walking alongside his victim at that point, slashes out at the 24-year-old before jogging away across the road.

The attacker, who has yet to be apprehended, was wearing a red NBA jacket, the New York Post reported. He was also wearing a green hoodie, Adidas sweatpants and Adidas sneakers.

He was described as a black male, possibly homeless, in his 20s or 30s and between five-foot-seven and five-foot-ten, police said.

The victim said she had never seen the man before the unprovoked attack but called on others to be aware of the dangers of walking along in the early hours.

'Always, always trust your gut instincts,' she said. 'Even in a safer neighborhood such as Chelsea you should always stay alert and aware of your surroundings.

'Had I crossed the street this could have been avoided; never feel that you have to stay in an uncomfortable situation out of politeness/fear/etc.'

The woman stumbled into Chelea's 24-hour Malibu Diner (pictured above) after the attack, looking for help. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital where she received seven stitches and was then released

The suspect fled after the incident. He was described as possibly homeless, in his 20s or 30s and between five-foot-seven and five-foot-ten, police said