Search For Serial Rapist

Unlocked windows may be a welcome mat for an uninvited predator targeting women at home in the 105th police precinct, according to an official with the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department. Deputy Inspector Susan Morley, unit commander, said detectives are asking the public for help finding a rapist who targets women in the early morning.
"We believe its a pattern based on the location and entering the windows at that time of the morning," Morley said. "We believe its the same person. I think, perhaps, its the most terrifying to people because its in their homes."
Morley said police stepped up patrols in the area following rapes on March 4 and July 4.
At 3:45 a.m. on March 4, a 51-year-old woman was raped by an unknown man who entered her home through the window. At 3:10 a.m. on July 4, a 58-year-old woman was raped by a 20- to 25-year-old white or Hispanic man with a ponytail. Morley said police are unsure if the similarity in the age of the victims is a coincidence.
So far this year, the precinct has seen 20 rapes, a nearly 43% increase over all of 2003, when there were 14 such crimes, according to police crime statistics. Morley said the department is already taking action to find the suspect by processing forensic evidence and investigating prior sex offenders who live in the area or perpetrated such crimes in the precinct, which is comprised of Bellerose, Cambria Heights, Floral Park, Glen Oaks, Laurelton, New Hyde Park, Queens Village, Rosedale and Springfield Gardens.
Morley urged those who live in the area to lock their windows and doors, keep lights on in the yard and call 911 if they hear unusual noises by the window. She said it is important that residents not ignore their instincts.
"The fear is that hell strike again," she said. "But our goal is to catch him before he strikes again."