Police examine series of rapes

4 since April in same complex

Since April, four separate rapes have occurred in the Mill Creek apartment complex in the Whitehaven area, police said Monday.

Police said they aren’t certain yet if the assaults are connected, but added that the descriptions of the suspect were similar.

“The residents in this area must remain observant and aware of their surroundings. If anything out of the ordinary occurs or any suspicious activity is noticed, the police should be contacted,” Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong said in a written statement. “We are utilizing every resource that we have available to track down and apprehend the responsible party.”

The most recent assault occurred about 3:45 a.m. Sunday, when someone broke through the rear door of an apartment in the 4000 Block of Mill Stream and raped two women, police said. The suspect assaulted a 43-year-old woman and a 22-year-old woman, but did not attack a 14-year-old girl as had earlier been reported, police said.

He also took items from the apartment. The suspect was described as a black man between 20-25, standing 5-foot-7 to 5-foot9 and weighing around 170 pounds. He was wearing black and white shorts with bandanna prints and a T-shirt over his head. He was armed with a silver handgun.

The first reported incident happened April 14 around 6 a.m., police said. A suspect approached a woman who was sitting in her car, forced her to go to another location and assaulted her, police said. Around 10:30 p.m. on June 28, a man raped a 17-yearold girl in her apartment. About 1:30 a.m. on June 21, a suspect approached a 26-year-old woman in the parking lot, forced her inside and assaulted her.