A jogger was violently attacked and raped Wednesday morning in Haile Plantation in Gainesville.

Detectives who were at the scene say this is one of the worst sexual assaults they've seen in Alachua County in a very long time, and they add that it's almost as if the suspect was not afraid of getting caught, because the attack happened at a busy intersection in a heavily populated area.

Authorities say the attack happened around 6:30 Wednesday morning just outside of the Indigo Square neighborhood in Haile Plantation.

They say the 36-year-old victim was jogging along a path when the suspect jumped out from a wooded area, and pistol-whipped her in the face.

He then severely beat her, ripped off her clothing, and was raping her until another female jogger came along.

Investigators say while the second jogger was helping the woman, the suspect drove away in a car that was parked nearby.

"The second jogger did not immediately know what was occuring. She thought the female was somehow injured and in need of aid, and that the male was rendering some sort of aid to her. He casually walked off, got in the vehicle, and drove away," said Lt. Steve Maynard.

The suspect is described as a clean-cut black male with short cropped hair who was wearing a black shirt and black pants.

The car is described as a dark-colored four door sedan.

Investigators are asking anyone who might have seen the suspect or his car, to please call Detective Heather Phillips from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office at (352) 367- 4185.