NATCHEZ — An elderly Natchez woman is recovering at home after waking to find a man in the bedroom of her downtown house.

A family member of the woman said when the victim awoke at approximately 4 a.m. Thursday, she discovered a man in her bedroom who removed articles of the victim’s clothing and attempted to assault the victim, the family member said.

The family member said they believe the alleged assailant entered the yard through a hole in fencing and then entered the house. The alleged assailant did not take anything from the house and fled the premises before physically harming the elderly woman.

“She said it felt as if it was a dream after she woke up and realized what had happened,” the family member said. “You don’t expect to have that sort of confrontation in the middle of the night.”

Lt. Craig Godbold said Natchez Police officers arrived on the scene early this morning and are investigating the report.

He said there was no sign of forced entry into the house.

NPD Police Chief Mike Mullins said he plans to talk further with the victim, but no other information was available at this time.

The family member said the police were able to recover some evidence to assist in the investigation

“In the daylight, we have seen some things that we think are clues,” the family member said.

The victim was not able to give a good description of the man since the house was dark. There was only a small light on in the kitchen.

The victim lives alone.

“The thankful part is she is doing amazingly well,” the family member said.