DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Police on Thursday continued searching for a man who they said attacked and tried to rape an 80-year-old former school teacher in her yard.

The victim, who did not want her name released, told police she was raking leaves at her Daytona Beach home on Fulton Street Wednesday morning when a man approached her.

She said she thought he intended to help, but he then grabbed her arms and pushed her toward a shed in the back yard.

"He came and said, 'Come to this shed,' and then he pulled me around here," the woman said while clutching her Bible after returning from church.

The victim told police the man removed her shorts and tried to rape her but was unsuccessful.

"I'm 80 years old. What's wrong with you?" the victim said she told her attacker. "I was hollering and screaming, and he put his hands over my mouth to keep me from hollering."

Neighbors described the victim as a good woman who helps others.

"I'd like to get a hold of him. He's lucky I wasn't passing through," a neighbor said.

"It makes me sad. What have I done to deserve this? What have i done?" the victim asked.

The woman described her attacker as a black man, possibly in his 40s and 5 feet 7 inches tall with a medium build. The man was last seen wearing a blue and white horizontally striped polo shirt and dark jeans.

The attack has put the woman's community on alert.

Loretta Mitchell said the attack on her elderly neighbor has rocked the tight-knit community; especially knowing the attacker is still on the streets.

"It's a shame. They need to catch them," Mitchell said.

At 86 years old, Rosa Broxton never thought she had to worry about being raped, until Wednesday's attack.

"That's evil. That's a bad thing to do for anyone in their right mind shouldn’t be doing anything like that," Broxton said.

The woman was not seriously injured in the attack.

Anyone with information is asked to call police.