MAN ARRESTED IN VALLEY ATTACKS : SEARCH FOR RAPE SUSPECT LEADS POLICE TO SAN FRANCISCO MOTEL.Byline: Jaxon Van Derbeken, Mary F. Pols and Eric Wahlgren Daily News Staff Writers A suspect sought in a string of rapes in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. was arrested Thursday at a San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden hotel, but the hunt was on for a possible copycat rapist who attacked a woman stopped at a traffic light in North Hills. San Francisco police identified the suspect arrested Thursday as Jose Zarate, 27. Police say they were tipped to Zarate's whereabouts in the Bay Area and found him at a Comfort Inn. Police seized methamphetamine, a semiautomatic pellet gun a gun that fires small pellets, less than 3 mm diameter, usually made of metal. See also: Pellet and items believed to connect him to three Valley rape victims. ``It was a good news-bad news day,'' said Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. police Detective Gary Barthelmess, alluding to Zarate's arrest and the unsuccessful manhunt man·hunt n. An organized, extensive search for a person, usually a fugitive criminal. manhunt Noun an organized search, usually by police, for a wanted man or fugitive Noun 1. for a suspect police had cornered in the early morning attack in North Hills. ``When you get that close to the suspect, it is frustrating (to lose him),'' he said. In the 3 a.m. attack, detectives said a 52-year-old woman stopped at a traffic light was approached by a gunman who got into her car and ordered her to drive to another location where she was assaulted and forced from the car naked. Police officers stopped the car about 20 minutes later but the suspect fled and eluded arrest despite an intense manhunt through a Northridge apartment complex. Los Angeles Robbery Homicide Division Robbery Homicide Division (RHD) was an American police procedural television series on CBS, created by Barry Schindel with famed executive producer Michael Mann. Detective Greg Stone said Thursday that he believes the morning attack may have been prompted by publicity generated with a police call for help Tuesday in tracking a suspect wanted in three rapes and an attempted rape in the Valley since Dec. 22. Los Angeles police declined to detail the sequence of events that led authorities to Zarate, although they said a purple-blue 1996 Neon linked to the rapes had been impounded in Los Angeles. Police in San Francisco said they were contacted Wednesday by Los Angeles police asking them to see whether Zarate, wanted for a parole violation, was at a Lombard Street Lombard Street, in London, England. It is a street of banks and financial houses that takes its name from the Lombard merchants and moneylenders who settled there in the 13th cent. Travelodge motel, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Bay City News Service. Police learned he had checked out a room but wasn't there. A couple in the room at first said they didn't know the suspect, but they became more cooperative when police searched the room and apparently found a photo of Zarate and a travel bag with incriminating in·crim·i·nate tr.v. in·crim·i·nat·ed, in·crim·i·nat·ing, in·crim·i·nates 1. To accuse of a crime or other wrongful act. 2. items, the News Service reported. Police later traced Zarate to a Comfort Inn on Van Ness Van Ness may refer to: People
``He had just been here a few hours, he checked in earlier in the evening,'' said Debra McKinney, general manager of the Comfort Inn, who noted that Zarate had used another name in checking in. San Francisco police said Zarate, a parole-violation suspect, was booked on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine and an illegal handgun. The rapist - described as deceptively nice looking and clean-cut - attacked three women and targeted a fourth as they walked or drove during the early morning hours last month. Detective Mike Buttitta of the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery Homicide Division said officers spent most of the early morning Thursday interviewing witnesses and bringing in victims to view line-ups involving the suspect. Meanwhile, in the North Hills attack Thursday, police called off their search several hours after the early morning assault that began when the woman was accosted ac·cost tr.v. ac·cost·ed, ac·cost·ing, ac·costs 1. To approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request. 2. To solicit for sex. at a traffic light at Hayvenhurst Street and Roscoe Boulevard. ``He approached from the north side of her vehicle and pulled open the unlocked car door,'' Barthelmess said. The man then told her he had a weapon and directed her to drive on various side streets before attacking her in an alley in the 17000 block of Saticoy Street. Residents who overheard her cries for help after the attack came to her aid and called authorities. Barthelmess said that about 20 minutes later, West Valley patrol officers spotted a car driving at Roscoe and Lindley Avenue with its lights off, four blocks from where the carjacking The criminal taking of a motor vehicle from its driver by force, violence, or intimidation. The u.s. justice department categorizes the crime of carjacking as a "completed or attempted Robbery of a motor vehicle by a stranger took place. When officers approached, the man leaped out of the car and took off on foot in such a rush that both his tennis shoes slipped off his feet, police said. ``He tripped on the curb, kind of stumbled and his shoes fell off,'' Barthelmess said. More than 40 officers sealed off the area and scoured local streets, apartments and laundry rooms with police dogs before calling off the search sometime after 10 a.m. The suspect was last seen running into the courtyard of a building in the 18000 block of Roscoe Boulevard. CAPTION(S): Photo, map PHOTO K-9 unit officers search along Schoenborn Street on Thursday for a rape suspect who attacked a woman in North Hills. David R. Crane/Daily News Map: Rapist sought |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion