Victoria police have ramped up their hunt for a man who broke into an Esquimalt home and stabbed a woman in the leg.

The assailant's knife sliced the woman's femoral artery as well as a vein and nerve that connect to her lower leg.

The woman, who was married Aug. 15 and recently returned from her honeymoon, woke when she heard noises in her Anderson Road home at 4 a.m. Sept. 9. Downstairs she discovered a man in her house. The stabbing happened after the two engaged in a struggle.

The woman's husband rushed downstairs and grabbed the suspect, but let the man go to attend to his wife's leg.

The 26-year-old woman is recovering from six hours of surgery at Victoria General Hospital. Her father, Paul Ziakin, flew from Seattle first thing on the morning of the attack and has spent all his time at the hospital since.

At a press conference, Ziakin teared up as he talked about his daughter's injuries and his shock at the situation.

"We just got finished celebrating their lives together," he said. "Now I'm just praying she lives."

Her injuries are "very serious and life-altering," said police spokesperson Sgt. Grant Hamilton. He said in most cases, when robbers are caught in the act, they flee. He said for this man to attack the homeowner is "very, very rare," adding he had never a similiar incident in his 18 years as a police officer.

Police have more than a dozen major crime investigators on the case and are asking for help from the public to find the man responsible. He is described as in his mid-20s, between 5'6" and 5'10" with an athletic build and dark skin. He has short dark hair with a pronounced widow's peak or patch near the forehead. He wore black track pants with stripes on the sides and a shiny black jacket with a hood.

Anyone with information on the suspect's identity or whereabouts is asked to call a Victoria police tip line at 250-995-7444 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

ecardone@vicnews.com