Mt. Clemens woman brutally attacked in Detroit after having dinner with friends

DETROIT (WXYZ) — Morgan Catton, 27, of Mount Clemens, was on her way to a friend's house on Detroit's West Side last week when her Uber driver accidentally dropped her off at the wrong location. As she walked the rest of the way, she was attacked by a man on a bicycle.

Catton took an Uber from downtown Detroit to the area between Hazelwood and 14th streets to stay at a friend's house so she wouldn't have to drive all the way back to her apartment in Mount Clemens. Catton knows Detroit well and works as a bartender at Tin Roof.

On September 13, at around 10:20 p.m., her driver accidentally dropped her off a few blocks from her destination. She decided to walk the rest of the way while talking on the phone with a friend.

She saw a man riding a bicycle on the sidewalk coming toward her and moved to the side so he could pass, but instead he stopped right in front of her and attacked her.

“As he approached me, he got off his bike, looked at me, grabbed me by the neck, threw me to the ground and repeatedly punched me in the face,” Catton said.

The 27-year-old was brutally attacked by a man who appeared to be about 1.73 meters tall and about 40 years old and was riding a dark blue or gray bicycle. After the attack, he fled on the same bicycle.

Detroit police said the incident was completely random.

Morgan Catton

“Not a word was exchanged,” Catton said. “It happened so quickly. There was no time to react.”

The young woman was taken to hospital and had to have numerous stitches around her mouth and eye. But she says she is just happy to be alive.

“I thought I was going to die,” she said.

Morgan Catton

The attack occurred in a thriving community near Gordon Park. Residents are shocked by the violence.

“It's crazy because I've never seen anything like this,” said Renee Stokes, who lives in the area.

Shawn Wolfson

Catton hopes that when women are out alone at night, they will use the buddy system and carry some kind of protection with them. She wants people to be aware of these attacks and to raise awareness so that no one else gets hurt.

“I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that he will do something like this again if they don't find him,” she said.

Detroit Police are investigating. If you know anything about the attack, contact the Detroit Police Department's 10th Precinct at 313-596-1000.

Catton is missing work due to her injuries and has no health insurance. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help her with expenses.