Marsha Moore, 52, underwent facial reconstruction surgery on Friday, a week after she was severely beaten with a pipe as she was sleeping in her own home.
Moore is a well-known anti-crime activist and truancy officer in the Kingsessing section of Philadelphia.
At an emotional news conference, officials promised to catch her attacker.
"For the dog that you are, we are going to hunt your butt down, in these streets with the Philadelphia Police Department, and we are going to catch you," said Mayor Michael Nutter.
"We are coming to get you," said State Senator Anthony Williams. "I want you to understand. We will not stop until we hunt you down."
Last Friday, police say an assailant cracked her face in four places with a pipe, leaving her with more than 100 stitches, 2 broken fingers, a fractured arm, and her eye knocked 3 centimeters back.
"She can't understand why? Why they would hurt her?" said her husband, Robert.
Police say it was about 9:20 a.m. in the 200 block of South Cecil Street that someone broke into Moore's home as her husband, a 12th district police chaplain, a former Marine and 35 year veteran of the postal service, was at work.
She was knocked unconscious and awoke around 3 hours later.
Police say the assailant rummaged through the kitchen and ran off with nothing more than a few pieces of jewelry, leaving other expensive items behind.
Anyone with information can call the Citizen's Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
