Belmont
Shore rapist reward upped to $50,000
By Kristen Force
On-line Forty-Niner
The
reward for information about the Belmont
Shore rapist has now reached $50,000.
The cities of Los Alamitos and Long Beach
are working in a collaborative effort to
raise money for a reward for any information
leading to the arrest and conviction of
the rapist, said Capt. Todd Mattern of the
Los Alamitos Police Department. The suspect
has been linked to rapes in both cities.
“We have reached our target of $50,000,
but we haven’t gone public to offer the
reward yet,” Mattern said. “We are still
in the process of preparing the offer.”
The Los Alamitos City Council contributed
$5,000 originally and anonymous businesses
in the area contributed $15,000.
Two attacks have been made in Los Alamitos
in May, Mattern said. One woman was raped
and one was attacked on the same night in
a mobile home park.
On Sept. 3, the Long Beach City Council
authorized a $25,000 expenditure by the
Long Beach Police Department.
“Anytime a city organization wants to spend
that much money, it must be approved by
the city council,” said Sandy Fox, a spokeswoman
for the mayor.
Mattern said the police have very limited
information about the suspect so far and
are hoping the public will be able to lend
insight into the investigation.
“Our description [of the man] is very vague,”
Mattern said. “We welcome any information
from anyone regarding who the attacker may
be.”
The Long Beach Police Department has been
investigating 10 sexual assaults linked
to this suspect since 1997. The man is also
wanted in connection with an attack in Seattle
in 1996.
Information the police have released about
the suspect includes:
•
The suspect enters residences primarily
through an unlocked door or window.
• The woman is frequently alone in
the residence.
• The incidents occur late at night
or early in the morning.
• The suspect either covers his own
face or the victim’s.
• The suspect has not used a weapon
in past attacks.
• The victims are primarily mature
women between the ages of 32 and 77.
Anyone with information about the suspect
is asked to call the Sexual Assault Hotline
in Long Beach at (866) 600-1110 or the Los
Alamitos Information Hotline at (562) 431-2255
ext. 429.
Public affairs officer Jana Blair encouraged
anyone with information to call the hotline,
but stressed the importance of calling 911
if an attack is taking place or any other
immediate emergency is occurring.
“People need to call 911 for emergencies
so we can get an officer there right away,”
Blair said “The hotline is for information
that will help us find the attacker.”
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