Nov 20, 2009 6:16 am US/Eastern
Police Issue Warning To Women About City Rapists
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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The recent string of rapes across the city is something the mayor's office and the police department are taking very seriously. Police issued a serious warning to women Thursday night.
CBS
An alarming trend is happening in Baltimore City. There has been a spike in sexual assaults.
Andrea Fujii reports police have some surprising advice.
Police are telling woman don't go out after midnight if possible. Police still don't know who is responsible for the rapes and they don't know how many men are involved. Police are on edge hoping to prevent the rapes.
Women in East Baltimore are being warned that at least two rapists are targeting the area.
"I don't feel safe at all. I do have a mother [who] works at night. And I do have a sister, also," said Ceara Sturdivan. "I just need them to be protected."
In a last-minute meeting, police are spreading the word about increased car and foot patrols. The community is seeing the faces of suspected rapists.
"We don't want anybody walking around in the middle of the night in these streets right now. Let us catch these people and get them off the street," said East District Commander Lt. Melvin Russell.
In the Eastern District, the major spoke about two rapes and the recent murder on Eager Street, but since mid-October, there have been several sexual attacks against women in East Baltimore.
City police say five women were targeted on the street and dragged away to a dark, abandoned area to be raped. Four others were attacked during home break-ins. Then, Wednesday, a woman was found dead, partially clothed, behind a convenience store on Eager Street. Police still don't know if she was raped.
The locations and severity of these attacks are frustrating the community. Former rape victims don't want the terror of a rapist to dominate the streets.
"It brought back, like, I'm going to be scared again. I'm not scared anymore, and I'm like, `Oh my God, here it is again.' And I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be held hostage because we have two rapists out here," said Diane Corbett.
The two attacks that happened near bus stops were thought to be the same man, but DNA shows it is two men. Police have not linked the other attacks to one another.
Guglielmi said that anyone with information about the crimes should call the 24-hour tip line at 1-888-223-0033.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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