An armed sexual assault suspect is in custody after he attacked a woman in Rogers Park late Thursday night, Chicago police said. Now, detectives will be working to determine if the man is also the serial rapist they’ve been looking for in West Rogers Park.
CPD officers crossed paths with a 21-year-old woman during a traffic stop just across the border in Evanston around 11:07 p.m. She told them that a man had just pulled out a knife and sexually assaulted her as she walked in a gangway in the 1800 block of West Lunt, according to a police statement.
Other officers located a suspect in the 1800 block of West Greenleaf moments later and took him into custody.
The woman was taken to St. Francis Hospital in good condition.
While last night’s attack is a little east of an area where a serial rapist has been targeting women for several months, there are similarities between the latest assault and the earlier cases.
For example, the serial attacker also used a knife to threaten his victims. And last night’s suspect was riding a bike, something that some of the serial rapist’s victims have reported.
“Police are investigating whether this case is related to the pattern of sexual assault and robberies that we warned of earlier this week,” Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) said in an email Friday morning. “My thoughts and prayers are with yesterday’s victim, and with the other women who were assaulted over the last several months. I am hopeful that the investigation will bear fruit and the police can remove a dangerous criminal from our streets.”
In a community alert issued just days ago, CPD warned about a masked man who armed himself with a knife to rob and sexually assault women inside and near their homes during the nighttime hours. Four women have been targeted since late last year, the alert said.
The first known case was reported on the day after Christmas in the 6200 block of North Bell. The man broke into a woman’s first-floor residence around 2:50 a.m. and “made unlawful sexual contact” with her while armed with a knife, the alert said. He took the woman’s keys and PlayStation before leaving.
On January 25, he burglarized a residence in the 2300 block of West Arthur around 11:29 p.m. The CPD alert does not mention any contact between the victim and the offender in this incident.
He struck again around 9:03 p.m. on March 25 in the 6200 block of North Artesian. CPD said the man displayed a knife and stole an item from a woman as she entered her building. About 20 minutes later, he targeted another woman as she entered a residence in the 6200 block of North Oakley. He robbed her and “committed unlawful sexual contact” before leaving the area.
Most recently, a woman was targeted in the 6100 block of North Campbell around 8:55 p.m. on April 25. Once again, a woman was walking into her residence when the man confronted her with a knife, “committed unlawful sexual contact,” and took her valuables.
CPD described the suspect as a Black man between 23 and 35 years old, who stands 5’8 “to 6’1” tall. He usually wears a dark hoodie, dark pants, and dark shoes with a mask that covers part of his face. The first victim reported that the man may have had face tattoos. At least one victim said the man fled on a bike that had fat tires.
Detectives from Area Three are handling the investigation. They can be contacted at 312-744-8261 or 312-744-8263 regarding crime pattern #P25-3-022.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:41 a.m. with information from the alderman’s email.
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