News
2006-12-20
Rapist preys on
men in Houston area
A rapist who
preys on young men has struck five times in the Houston area
since mid September, and Monday police speculated
that th
A rapist who
preys on young men has struck five times in the Houston area
since mid September, and Monday police speculated
that there may be even more victims who are too
ashamed to come forward. The rapist typically stalks,
robs, and sexually assaults his victims at gunpoint,
apparently choosing them at random and attacking them near
or inside their homes, police said. The most recent
attack was November 30.
''I wish we had a link between the victims,
because we might have a better chance of catching
him,'' said Lt. Richard Whitaker of the police
department in Baytown, where two of the attacks took place.
''We don't have any affirmative links at all.''
He said some victims may be hesitant to come
forward because of their ages and ''a pride thing''
that makes men more reluctant to acknowledge being the
victim of a sex crime. Investigators believe that rape is
the motive, even though some victims were robbed. DNA
testing is under way in an effort to identify the attacker.
In some cases, the attacker approached his
victim outside his home. Other times, he broke into
the home.
''I think he just sees one that he prefers, and
then he begins to follow them and gather information,
finding out where they live and watching their
house,'' Whitaker said.
Victims have described the attacker as a
clean-shaven black man, 18 to 21 years old, 5 foot 6
to 6 feet tall, with a shaved head. The victims have
all been men in their late teens. (Joe Stinebaker, AP)
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