Police Quiet On Details About Rapist

Police have revealed few details about a series of burglaries and rapes of women who live alone.

Since January, a man has sneaked into seven ground-floor apartments, robbed the woman and in six cases, sexually assaulted them. In the seventh case, the woman was assaulted.

Other details are being kept secret to protect the investigation, said Sgt. Bill Carter, who said he is working the case part time.

He said he wants to keep enough private so he can sift through information from tipsters.

The lack of details, however, can be frustrating for the public, said Madolyn Frazier, a rape victim advocate for the Multnomah County district attorney’s office.

“I want to know as much as possible,” she said. “I want to know whether I’m likely to be a victim.”

Serial rapists are not uncommon, but the public generally hears about them after they are caught, she said. More often, police learn about serial rapists once they are arrested for a crime and confess to others.

The most recent attack was Friday.

In each attack, the man entered through an unlocked window or door between midnight and 5 a.m. He sneaked up on the women, attacking some in their sleep.

Victims describe him as a light-complexioned black male in his 20s or 30s, 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall, of medium build, with a clean-shaven, round face.

He was armed with a gun or a knife, and at times has worn a ski mask and gloves.