Police make new appeal to public in hunt for suspect in sex assaults, murder

Police re-released surveillance video Thursday of a man suspected of multiple sex assaults on women and a recent murder in a new bid to enlist the public’s help in catching the man before he strikes again.

The man is seen in a convenience store in the video shortly before police said he bicycled up to and then attacked a 24-year-old woman on July 12 around 12:30 a.m. in Frankford.

According to police, he grabbed the woman and choked her until she lost consciousness. Police said she later woke up naked behind a property on the 3800 block of Jasper Street suffering from serious head and facial injuries and was treated at Temple University Hospital.

Just a few days later on July 19, police said the same man is believed to have murdered a woman after propositioning her for sex.

Police say he lured the women to a lot on the 1900 block of East Cumberland Street in Kensington, then stabbed her with a knife and hit her with a brick. She fled to the 2400 block of Jasper Street, where she collapsed and died, the Daily News reported.

Later that same day, a woman was sexually assaulted and threatened with a knife near Cumberland and Water streets in what may be another assault by the man.

Police are continuing to investigate three other attacks and a murder, believing the cases may be linked.

Special Victims Unit investigators said the man appears to travel using a mountain bike and mostly target white prostitutes in his attacks, 6ABC reported.

Police think another victim survived having her throat slashed by him on April 12, on Frankford Avenue near Cambria Street, Philly Mag reported.

The suspect is described as a black male possibly in his 30’s, with a full mustache and beard, wearing a blue or gray jacket, a two-tone backpack, and a baseball cap with a V-shaped logo and a sticker on the top of the bill, riding a blue and black mountain bike, according to police.

Anyone with any information about this case is asked to call (215) 686-TIPS (8477) or text a tip to PPDTIP (773847).