A seventh known attack genetically linked to a serial rapist operating in the Charlottesville area has prompted University and local police to increase their public awareness efforts and encourage public assistance in the ongoing investigation.
The latest attack occurred Aug. 18 around 3:15 p.m. on Webland Drive, located off of Hydraulic Road. According to an Albemarle County police report, a woman arrived at her house and discovered the suspect inside her home. The attacker knocked her to the ground, sexually assaulted her and fled on foot.
The suspect most likely gained access to the house by breaking in through a rear door, the report says.
The recent incident has been forensically linked to six other sexual assault cases that occurred in the Charlottesville since 1997.
Of the seven attacks, one occurred on University Grounds at Lambeth Field. In that May 2000 incident, a female student resisted the attacker and forced him to flee the area, University Police Capt. Michael Coleman said.
Last week, the joint task force of University, Charlottesville and Albemarle County police distributed updated fact sheets on the rape suspect throughout the community. The fliers outline characteristics of the man, encourage people to be cautious and aware of their surroundings, and offer a $20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
The fliers describe the suspect as a black male of athletic build, between 5'6" and 6' tall. His eyes are described as large and extremely white.
The flier says the suspect has "extreme comfort in and around the Charlottesville area."
"He's probably living in this area, is what we believe," Albemarle County Police Lt. G. A. Jenkins said. "As the two police chiefs said, they believe this individual is among our citizens. He may hold a job in our community, and he may work alongside any one of us. This guy is a pretty smart guy, we think."
Absent from the new fliers is the widely-circulated sketch of the suspect that appeared in last year's material.
Jenkins said the sketch was not distributed because it may limit reported information.
"We're not excluding the sketch, but we don't want the community just focusing on that sketch," Jenkins said. "It may limit the information coming in to us. We want any info coming in that's pertinent to this case."
Police recommend that citizens lock all residential doors and windows, avoid walking alone and remain alert at all times.
"At this point, we don't think anything [for safety] is too bizarre," Jenkins said. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, and we want our citizens to be safe."
Jenkins said he has received calls from University students about suspicious behavior and possible suspects.
"One young lady called me on my cell phone at home the other day," Jenkins said. "The students are very aware, and they're giving us a lot of information -- and we want it to keep coming in."
People can report incidences by phone or e-mail, and the task force is setting up a toll-free number that will connect callers directly to a detective on the case, Jenkins said.
Coleman said the department would like to receive even more calls and emphasized the importance of public assistance in solving this case.
"This case is probably going to be solved by information that comes from the public," Coleman said. "We encourage anyone that might have any information to contact us. It's just really important."
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