Scouring streets for clues under the El

Police have ratcheted up the chase for the so-called Kensington Strangler, but officials stressed yesterday that there still could be more than one attacker.

Since October, there have been five reported choking attacks and three homicides by strangulation in the same four-mile area. Two murders have been linked to the same suspect, police said, but they are awaiting DNA results to determine a possible connection to the third murder or the assaults.

Commissioner Charles Ramsey said the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit is now assisting police in creating a profile of the suspect or suspects. Police are also combing through a national crime database and reviewing unsolved murders to find possible clues.

“We’ve made hundreds of car stops and [pedestrian] stops in the area,” Ramsey said. “We’ve taken more than 60 swabs for DNA analysis from individuals we have arrested for soliciting prostitutes. More than 80 individuals so far have been taken into custody during this time for that, [and] about 18 or so prostitutes have actually been arrested as well in that area.”