Attempted Center City rape may be work of serial rapist

Last night's incident may be the latest linked to the 1998 murder of a Wharton doctoral student. Last night's incident may be the latest linked to the 1998 murder of a Wharton doctoral student.The Associated Press A 29-year-old woman was able to fight off a man who entered her third-floor apartment in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, where the other attacks occurred, at about 8 p.m. She was in good condition at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, police said. ''There are similarities and cause for us to be concerned. There are some differences, maybe minor, and so we will take that into consideration,'' Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney said. The 6' caucasian assailant matched the description of the serial rapist, who was linked by DNA to the other crimes and the May 1998 rape and murder of Penn student Shannon Schieber. All of the previous victims were female college students living in an enclave of student housing within a few blocks of Rittenhouse Square. In each case, the attacker entered the woman's apartment by a window or door facing a street. Police think the rapist watched each of the women for some time before attacking them. However, there are two important differences in this case. Sunday's attack happened in the early evening; all the others occurred in the pre-dawn hours. This attack also was at an apartment overlooking a busy street; the other apartments were along quiet side streets where the attacker might not have been seen as he entered or exited the building. Timoney said it was possible that the attacker had become more bold or changed his method of operation. Detectives from the Homicide Unit and Special Victims Unit were called to the crime scene, looking for any clues including DNA evidence that could prove whether or not the attacker is the same as the Center City rapist, Timoney said. Nearly half a dozen men walking around downtown were stopped by police within minutes of the crime being reported, according to authorities.