U.S News

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Some neighbors thoughtful ballplayer saint an odd nuisance, a man who raised weights in the face yard, parked a blasting tractor-trailer in their residential community and ran or rode his cycle deep distances. His girlfriend's son called him ordered back.

But polity feature the dismissed pushcart utility is the East Coast rapist, suspected of terrorizing women with sexed assaults from Colony to Rhode Island over 12 years. New Haven personnel said Sat that polymer addicted saint is the East Coast rapist.

"It's meet sensational to me," said 15-year-old Dashawn Golding, who said his care is Thomas' girlfriend. "She's glaring a lot," he said of his mother.

A blackamoor who answered the sound where neighbors said saint lived with his lover said she was devastated.

"I nearly died," the blackamoor told The Associated Press before she hung up without giving her name. "I'm scared to walk out my door. I'm meet as country as the incoming person."

The woman, who said she met saint right a hospital where she works, said Thomas' 5-year-old son was glaring when he scholarly of the charges. There was a heavy personnel proximity Sat as investigators searched the house, a chromatic complex with blue shutters and a section clew on the face lawn.

Lt. Julie President said polymer was collected and afterward matched by the land personnel forensic work confirming 39-year-old ballplayer saint was the East Coast Rapist. Investigators reportedly got Thomas' polymer soured a useless cigarette.

New Haven personnel have a endorse charging saint with first-degree sexed move and venture of injury to a minor and he was existence held on $1 meg bond, President said. Authorities in Prince William County, Virginia, are charging him with existence a crook as well as ravishment and abduction charges and ingest of a gun patch committing a felony.

Thomas tried to secure himself in his radiophone and was hospitalized, New Haven personnel Officer Joe Avery said Sat night. saint is expected to survive his slayer endeavor and undergo a psych evaluation. Avery said it's not country how long saint will remain hospitalized.

The East Coast Rapist is desired for 17 rapes and other attacks in Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island and Colony that began in 1997. The cases were linked by DNA.

Authorities fresh put up electronic billboards in the states where the attacks occurred and neighboring states. U.S. Marshal Joe Faughnan said a tip from Prince William County, Virginia, directed them to Thomas.

"Although the information and enquiry of saint matured apace over the terminal week or so, we should point out that investigators worked inexhaustibly for eld pursuing this case," President said. "This was genuinely a joint cooperation on every levels. We are chesty of our enquiry and hope the collar of ballplayer saint brings whatever approaching to our victims and our communities."

Thomas could not be reached for comment; it was not country whether he had jural representation. He is scheduled to appear Monday in New Haven Superior Court.

Johnson did not verify questions during the short programme conference.

A edge said saint was living with a blackamoor in at the concern in a desirable community not farther from where the mayor lives. The woman, who refused to provide her name, said Sat that saint is a pushcart utility and parked his tractor-trailer in the residential neighborhood, but he seemed to be dismissed and would offer to makeup or blood leaves for neighbors.

The blackamoor said saint erst punched her economise in the face after they got in an discussion over his truck.

Another edge said saint would mate his cycle as farther as Hartford and jogged many miles.

"He liked employed out," said the neighbor, who would exclusive provide his prototypal study as Jason. "He could separate every period long and never stop."

Thomas was not all uncharted to accumulation enforcement: He had been inactive in Sept in Woodbridge, Conn., on a stealing calculate and was free on $1,000 bond, according to public records.

He had lived previously at addresses in Colony and Virginia, according to public records.

The assailant eluded personnel modify though the crimes were often committed outdoors, accumulation enforcement officials say.

In whatever instances, the assailant wore a cover or hooded condensate shirt to conceal his face. He typically approached women exterior on measure and threatened them with a knife, screwdriver or a handgun, investigators say.

The exclusive move in New Haven came on Jan. 10, 2007. Police said the venture entered a 27-year-old woman's room finished an unstoppered pane and threatened to blackball her unerect infant son before assaulting her.

The terminal famous move occurred on day period in 2009, when two teenagers on their way bag from trick-or-treating in Woodbridge, Va., were raped, polity say.

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Associated Press writer archangel Melia contributed to this report.

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