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Third victim of Northeast Philly attacker comes forward

Nearly two years after she was brutally beaten and raped by a man who’s been preying on women in Northeast Philadelphia since July 2010, another victim came forward this month and provided new information, police said.

The Philadelphia Police Department is seeking the public�s assistance in identifying the suspect responsible for sexually assaulting three complainants between July 2010, and August 2011. On August 3, 2011, at 2:30am, a 24 year-old female complainant accepted a ride from an unknown male at Torresdale & Longshore Avenue, who was operating a newer model white pick-up truck with ladder racks holding a ladder. The male drove to 8100 Cresco Avenue where he forced her into a wooded area. There, he physically and sexually assaulted the complainant. On July 16, 2010, at 2:30am, a 26 year-old female complainant reported a physical assault under similar circumstances at 8000 Cresco Avenue, involving a similarly described male and vehicle. On May 15, 2012, a 27 year-old female complainant reported that in August 2010, at 8:00pm, she was physically and sexually assaulted under similar circumstances at 8000 Cresco Avenue after accepting a ride from Disston Street & Torresdale Avenue with a male operating a vehicle similarly described. The male identified himself as �Rob� or �Bob� and may also operate a newer model, dark blue minivan with an �EAGLES� sticker in the rear window. Suspect Description: White male, 25-35 years-of-age, 5�9?-5�10?, fair complexion, medium build (muscular), light brown close-cut hair neatly trimmed, close-cut mustache and goatee/beard. Left eyebrow, right ear, and tongue piercings. Download a copy of the flyer here If you see this male do not approach him, contact 911 immediately. To submit a tip via telephone, dial 215.686.TIPS (8477) or text a tip to PPD TIP or 773847. Use this electronic form to submit a tip anonymously
The Philadelphia Police Department is seeking the public�s assistance in identifying the suspect responsible for sexually assaulting three complainants between July 2010, and August 2011. On August 3, 2011, at 2:30am, a 24 year-old female complainant accepted a ride from an unknown male at Torresdale & Longshore Avenue, who was operating a newer model white pick-up truck with ladder racks holding a ladder. The male drove to 8100 Cresco Avenue where he forced her into a wooded area. There, he physically and sexually assaulted the complainant. On July 16, 2010, at 2:30am, a 26 year-old female complainant reported a physical assault under similar circumstances at 8000 Cresco Avenue, involving a similarly described male and vehicle. On May 15, 2012, a 27 year-old female complainant reported that in August 2010, at 8:00pm, she was physically and sexually assaulted under similar circumstances at 8000 Cresco Avenue after accepting a ride from Disston Street & Torresdale Avenue with a male operating a vehicle similarly described. The male identified himself as �Rob� or �Bob� and may also operate a newer model, dark blue minivan with an �EAGLES� sticker in the rear window. Suspect Description: White male, 25-35 years-of-age, 5�9?-5�10?, fair complexion, medium build (muscular), light brown close-cut hair neatly trimmed, close-cut mustache and goatee/beard. Left eyebrow, right ear, and tongue piercings. Download a copy of the flyer here If you see this male do not approach him, contact 911 immediately. To submit a tip via telephone, dial 215.686.TIPS (8477) or text a tip to PPD TIP or 773847. Use this electronic form to submit a tip anonymouslyRead more
    by By Morgan Zalot<br/>Daily News Staff Writer<br/>
    Published 

Nearly two years after she was brutally beaten and raped by a man who's been preying on women in Northeast Philadelphia since July 2010, another victim came forward this month and provided new information, police said.

Cops learned of the August 2010 attack — which happened a month after the initial attack July 16, 2010 and a year before the most recent attack on Aug. 3, 2011 — when the victim contacted them about two weeks ago and detailed her ordeal, Special Victims Unit Capt. John Darby said at a news conference Wednesday. He said the similarities of that woman's account to those of the two other victims left no doubt in investigators' minds that her attack was the work of the same man.

Cops said in each incident, the man was driving a white pickup truck with ladders on top and tool boxes on the sides at night when he approached women along Torresdale Avenue in the area of Longshore Avenue in Tacony and offered them a ride. Each victim accepted the ride, Darby said, and the attacker drove her to Cresco Avenue near Rhawn Street, lured her into Pennypack Park, and assaulted her. The first victim was able to fight the man off and escape before being raped, police said, but the man raped his other two victims.

"This guy is brutal," said Det. Jim Owens, who's been working the case since 2010. "The thing about him, too, is none of the [victims] felt threatened by him in any way" before the attacks.

The woman who came forward most recently told police she saw her attacker a few weeks after she was raped in the same area on Torresdale Avenue and immediately recognized him. At that time, he was driving a dark blue minivan, possibly a Chrysler Town & Country, with an Eagles sticker on the rear window and a child's car seat in the back, according to police.

"She wanted to go at him [and] he took off," Darby said of the victim's encounter with the man. "Her instinctive response was to go after him."

The woman also told police that when she was attacked in August 2010, the man had piercings in his left eyebrow and tongue and wore an "expensive looking" hoop earring in his right ear.

Police said victims' accounts indicate that the man's vehicles were meticulously clean and one victim saw a clipboard with work forms on it in the console of his truck, leading investigators to believe that he may be a contractor who's done work — and possibly lives — near the scene of the attacks.

He's described as white, between 25 and 35, 5 feet 9 to 5 feet 10, with a fair complexion, a medium, muscular build, light brown hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. He goes by "Bob" or "Rob."

Anyone with information about the man should contact the SVU at 215-685-3251.