Man rapes, stabs woman

Authorities are looking for a rapist who tried to kill a prostitute late Thursday, Costa Mesa police said Friday.

The 25-year-old woman from Las Vegas was in Santa Ana when a man picked her up and drove her to a secluded area near Harbor and MacArthur boulevards, police said. The man raped her before pulling out a knife and stabbing her repeatedly as she tried to escape, authorities said.

The woman managed to bite his lip and gouge his eyes, Lt. Marty Carver said. She suffered multiple cuts and stab wounds to the side, hands and face, but her injuries were not considered life-threatening, officials said.

The woman told police her attacker was a 29-year-old Latino with short curly hair, a mustache, thin beard and a medium build, police said. He should have highly noticeable injuries to his lower lip, eyes and face, police said. He drove an older-model maroon pickup truck with black, quarter-bed work racks generally used for gardening equipment.

Authorities should be releasing a sketch of the suspect early next week, police said. Santa Ana officers were notified of the suspect’s description, but are not taking an active role in the investigation, Santa Ana officials said.

Anyone with information should contact Costa Mesa detective Mike Delgadillo at (714) 754-5197 or call the police general number at (714) 754-5252.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.