Philadelphia Police Search For Suspected Serial Rapist After Three Similar Sexual Assaults

Philadelphia police are searching for a possible serial rapist after a disturbing set of attacks on women in the city that seem to follow the same “sexual assault pattern.”

“We’ve got three cases,” Capt. James Kearney, the commanding officer of the Philadelphia Police Special Victims Unit said at a press conference Tuesday, according to ABC News. “We have a pattern going on here.”

Police released an image of a dark grey Dodge Charger with “distinct rims” that they believe was used in the attacks and are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect in the string of cases.

“We have detectives working around the clock on it,” Kearney said, according to KYW-TV.

According to police, the first incident occurred around 5:00 a.m. on March 15 when a 35-year-old female, who was walking down the street, was approached by a black male driving a dark sedan. The man took the victim to a remote area, pulled out a handgun and sexually assaulted her, police said in a statement.

Another victim was attacked around 5:15 a.m. on April 5. The 28-year-old was leaving a convenience store when she was approached by a black male in a dark grey Dodge Charger with a covered tag. The armed man forced her into his car, drove to the area of 4000 Orchard Street and sexually assaulted her.

The third victim reported being attacked around 1:00 a.m. on April 21. The 29-year-old woman told police she had been walking when she was approached by a man who offered her a ride. She accepted and got into the vehicle, but she said that’s when the man took out a handgun, forced her into the back seat and sexually assaulted her. He also robbed the woman of her cell phone before dropping her off on the street and driving away.

All three victims described their attacker as a heavy set Black male and said the man demanded oral sex. The last victim told police the man also punched and raped her, Kearney said.

Police believe the suspect is attacking “vulnerable” women.

“He’s preying on these women who we believe he feels that’s not going to report it,” he said.

All the attacks occurred in an area known for sex work and investigators believe it’s possible that there are other victims who have been afraid to come forward.

They urged anyone who may have come in contact with the man to contact police.

"For one reason or another, these survivors, these women are not coming in to talk to us," he said. "We need to talk to people and stop it from happening again."

Police have described the vehicle as a 2016 to 2020 charcoal gray four-door Dodge Charger with tinted windows.