The East Coast Rapist has remained anonymous for over 12 years. The rapist was finally caught in Connecticut. DNA confirms that the man arrested is indeed the East Coast Rapist.
On Friday a man was arrested in Connecticut, and officials say that DNA taken from the man confirmed that he is the East Coast Rapist. The East Coast Rapist has been sexually assaulting women for over 12 years. The rapes occurred along the East Coast, from Virginia to Rhode Island.
The man arrested is Aaron Thomas, and he is 39 years old. According to
ABC news, Thomas is being held on $1 million bond in New Haven, for first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.
A press conference was held today and authorities praised the efforts of police who captured Thomas. The efforts were stepped up earlier this week, with a billboard ad campaign, as well as a new website.
According to
Reuters, Thomas has been raping women since 1997, and the recent DNA evidence has linked Thomas to at least 17 women who were raped in Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Recent information came along, and DNA was eventually collected and then the DNA confirmed that Thomas is indeed the East Coast Rapist.
Six local law enforcement agencies, the Department of Justice, and the FBI launched a joint website earlier in the week, according to
CNN. The purpose of the website was to solicit information from the public.
Kim Chinn is a spokeswoman for the Prince William County police department and she says that the investigation stepped up after they received an anonymous tip. She said that after that happen, things started to move very fast, and everybody is finally breathing a sigh of relief.
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