'She started praying:' Niece speaks out after her 91-year-old aunt sexually battered in Marion County home

REDDICK, Fla. - A 91-year-old woman is recovering, and her niece is speaking out after a man walked into the woman's home and sexually battered her. 

The incident happened in Reddick, a town in Marion County around midnight, the sheriff's office said. The intruder subjected her to a violent beating and sexual assault. Detectives are still searching for the suspect. 

A $5,000 reward is also being offered for information leading up to the suspect's arrest. 

According to the woman's niece, the man was not there to rob her. 

"She said he was definitely not there to rob her. He never asked for money or anything like that," the woman's niece said. "He just. She woke up with him coming down the hall, and, then, boom, there he was. So, she fought. She fought hard. And, when she couldn't fight anymore, she started praying."

The Marion County Sheriff's Office said they are going through several items to try to uncover DNA for the case. 

"Our DNA lab is going through items to see if there is DNA on them, " said Marion County Public Information Officer Valerie Strong. "And then that way, if they we do have something positive, we can send it to FDLE lab and get it rushed through and hopefully, you know, be able to get a suspect from that. But in the meantime, while we're still going through this, we're also asking citizens to continue to call us if they saw something suspicious."

Residents of Reddick are asked to report any suspicious activity or unusual occurrences captured on their security cameras. Information can be reported by calling 352-732-9111.