A few details about the incident at an Oak Bay residence have just been released by the police.

It has been confirmed that a woman was attacked with a machete in her home in the 2500 block of Esplanade, near Willows Beach.

An intruder broke into her home just after 7 a.m. Tuesday morning and assaulted her when she confronted him – the police have yet to decipher whether this attack was random or targeted.

The 45-year-old woman is alive but has sustained serious upper body injuries and was undergoing surgery early this afternoon.

The suspect, however, is still at large. The police are looing for a heavy set man in his mid-20s, wearing a brown jacket, dark pants, and a blue and white handkerchief around his neck. The suspect also had a baseball cap on.

The investigation is still in its preliminary stages, and because the victim is in surgery, the police have not been able to speak to her at length about a possible motive for the attack.

Police said the incident occurred at a time when many dog walkers and pedestrians were in the area, so if anyone in the area saw anything suspicious, they are encouraged to report it.

Oak Bay Police were assisted by officers from VicPD and Saanich Police and they scoured the area for the attacker but nobody was found. During the search, Willows Elementary and Glenlyon Norfolk school were locked-down but that has since lifted.

The Saanich Police detective division will be taking the lead on this investigation with oversight by Oak Bay.

If you have any information, please pass it on to the Saanich Police at 250-475-4321 or to Crime Stoppers.