Authorities in Covington and Alleghany County are investigating an abduction and sexual assault they say occurred Thursday night.

Chief J.B. Broughman of the Covington Police Department said a woman was driving on North Alleghany Avenue around the 1100 to 1200 block, when a man forced her at gunpoint to drive into Alleghany County.

Lt. Col. Matt Bowser of the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office said the woman was taken to a remote area in the northern part of the county near Natural Well, where she was sexually assaulted. When the man ran off, she was able to drive to a place where she could get cellphone reception to call police.

Bowser said that after the incident, the sheriff's office increased patrol and searched with a tracking dog, in addition to a tracking dog and handler borrowed from the Botetourt County Sheriff's Office. State police and Covington detectives responded to the scene, and were assisted by a state police helicopter with an infrared camera.

The victim, a woman in her 20s, was treated for minor injuries at Alleghany Regional Hospital, Bowser said.

Investigators said the man was about 5 feet 8 inches tall, wearing a black ski mask, a long-sleeved shirt, gloves, sweat pants and white tennis shoes. His race is unknown.

Bowser said the sheriff's office doesn't have enough facts to say whether this incident may be related to a similar one that occurred earlier this month.

The sheriff's office and Covington police urge anyone with information to call either locality.

-- Lerone Graham