MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A suspected attacker was still on the loose Friday. Police shared more information about as many as five attacks in which he might be connected.
WREG confirmed three of those attacks reportedly involved a sexual assault.
“I am very worried about that in our neighborhood,” said Maria Skyes, who lives in the Skylake area. That is near where police believe a possible serial sexual assault suspect abducted his most recent victim Tuesday.
Police believe he is driving a red or maroon Toyota Camry with tinted windows. The description of the attacker, himself, is vague.
Police confirmed three of the incidents were sexual assaults, some with robberies. The other two were robberies without sexual assaults.
“We have a few cases that are similar in some type of pattern where it’s a vehicle or an MO that the suspect uses committing some crimes. They’re not all sexual assaults. Some of them are robberies,” said Deputy Director Mike Ryall with Memphis Police.
Here is what we know so far about the alleged attacks. Bear in mind, police report that it is unknown if these incidents are emphatically connected, but there are similarities.
First attack: On September 26th, near Crump and Mississippi, the suspected demanded money and sexually assaulted the victim.
Second attack: Two days later, on September 28th, the suspect reportedly struck in the 3500 block of Lamar. Around 4 a.m., the suspect robbed and sexually assaulted a victim.
Third attack: The same day, on September 28th, police said the suspect robbed a woman leaving her job at a cosmetics store on Poplar. Police said he hit her with a gun.
Fourth attack: On October 17th, around 6 p.m., the suspect robbed a victim at Kroger on South Mendenhall and hit her on the head with a gun.
Fifth attack: The suspect reportedly abducted a woman walking on James near Skylake, drove her to a secluded area, and sexually assaulted her around 4:30 a.m.
WREG asked police about how some women in the community are scared and do not feel protected.
“I hate to hear that. I think we need to show in this community that women need to be respected, treated with a great amount of respect, and men who prey on women, beware. We’re not going to tolerate that as a police department,” Ryall said.
“I’m pretty sure they’re [police] doing the best they can,” Sykes said.
If you have any information, police ask you to call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.
