Search underway for man accused of breaking in, brutally assaulting woman in Manassas apartment

Police in northern Virginia are looking for a man who was accused of breaking into a woman's home before violently beating her to the point where she lost consciousness.

The woman is physically expected to be alright after the harrowing attack, which took place around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20 in the 8000 block of Juliet Lane.

Prince William County Police say the assault happened on the bottom floor of The Point at Manassas apartment complex.

Officers got a call just after 4:30 p.m. about a domestic dispute. When they arrived at the complex, the victim – a 35-year-old woman – told police that a man forced himself through her door and started a verbal altercation that turned violent.

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The woman says the suspect, who police have identified as 33-year-old Cameron Alexander Neal, is an acquaintance.

Investigators say Neal allegedly hit her several times. The victim was able to run away but he followed her into another room in the apartment where he continued to assault her before strangling her.

"At one point took an electrical cord and put it around her neck which caused her to temporarily lose consciousness before the parties separated," Renee Carr with the Prince William County Police Department said. "Thankfully, someone else was able to contact the police, and once the accused knew the police were coming he left the area."

The search is on for Neal, who is from Culpepper. Police are asking anyone who knows where Neal is to call 911, to prevent this from happening again or to someone else.

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