Sheriff detectives arrested a 22-year-old Skyway man Jan. 8 for investigation of rape, robbery and kidnapping. They believe he committed at least two other rapes and perhaps more.
The suspect is currently in the Regional Justice Center with a $500,000 bail. Charges are pending.
In a Jan. 7 incident, the 26 year-old victim was in the Skyway neighborhood to respond to an ad posted on Craigslist for a “nude model”. Detectives believe the ad was posted by the perpetrator of the rape.
When the woman pulled into a parking lot about 9 p.m. to use her cell phone, the suspect suddenly appeared, got into her car, and held a knife to her throat. He made her drive around for a short period of time before telling her to pull over. Then he forced her to perform a sex act. He took items from the car and the woman.
Detectives identified a fingerprint which was found in the victim’s vehicle. They arrested the suspect on January 8th as he left his Skyway residence.
Another similar case occurred in Skyway on Dec. 20. In that case the suspect reportedly got into the car while the 21 year-old victim was stopped at a red light. Again he held a knife to her throat and eventually had her perform a sex act. Detectives believe it is likely the same man is responsible for this rape as well, and are doing additional follow-up work.
On Dec. 9, two women went to Skyway as a result of their Craigslist ad and were sexually assaulted by a man whose M.O. and description matched the other two cases. That investigation is also continuing.
Due to the connection to Craigslist in at least two of these cases, it is a possibility there are other victims who may not have reported the crime. Any additional victims should call the Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311 (24 hours) or 9-1-1 to report the crime.
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