Assaulted teen lured; not hitchhiking

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - Hays County investigators say a teenager assaulted, stabbed and left on the side of the road last week was not hitchhiking, as they originally reported. Instead, they said the girl, 17, was lured into a stranger's car while waiting at an Austin bus stop.

Investigators will not elaborate on the location of the bus stop, but said the man told the girl he would give her a ride. They believe he drove her nearly 40 miles outside of Austin to the Hays-Blanco county line and dropped her off on the side of Highway 290 just before 1:00 in the afternoon. She had been sexually assaulted and stabbed in the chest, but was able to flag down a passing car for help.

"I was just shocked, you know," said Juan Sanchez, who lives in the area. "It's messed up so I hope this guy gets caught and put in jail."

Wednesday, Austin police confirmed they had been contacted by Hays County investigators to do a compliance check on a local sex offender, who they are calling a person of interest in the case. They are working with the victim to develop a sketch of the suspect and get a description of the vehicle he was driving to release to the public.

The teenager was treated for her wounds at University Medical Center Brackenridge.