The woman’s relatives were able to track the man’s location using her phone, but before they could confront the alleged attacker, he approached the family’s car and smashed the windscreen with the hammer.
He then got into a physical altercation with one of the woman’s family members – a 27-year-old man – before the alleged attacker ran away.
The SUV was found nearby and has been taken for forensic examination.
Police are calling on the public to identify the man, who is described as being of medium build and in his mid-20s, wearing a black beanie, balaclava, a black Nike hoodie and black gloves. Do not approach the man, but call triple zero straight away.
NSW Police Superintendent Barry Vincent said it was too early to determine the motivation of the alleged attacker, but believed the man was opportunistic in selecting women walking alone in the early hours of the morning.
He warned women to stick to major roads when walking alone and said the victims who handed over their property to the man did the right thing.
“Property can be replaced, your safety is of the utmost,” Vincent said.
Police are also investigating potential links to a number of robberies in the area over the weekend.