Suspect in Fairmount Park rape cases still at large

The man accused of raping one victim and raping and murdering a second in Fairmount Park in the past five months, remains at large, according to Philadelphia Police.

They have been actively searching for the perpetrator of the crimes since mid-July, when the second act took place.

The body of Rebecca Park, a 30-year-old medical student at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, was found on July 17 in the woods of West Fairmount Park. Park was last seen on July 13, the date on which police believe she was assaulted, raped and murdered while jogging in the park.

DNA tests linked the rape and murder of Park with the April 30 rape of a 21-year-old female jogger in Fairmount Park.

The Philadelphia Police Department's Web site describes the suspect as a male of Latino descent, in his late 20s to early 30s, with an olive complexion and short, tight curly hair. He has a thin mustache, wears a hoop earring in his left ear and speaks broken English. The site indicates that the suspect may be riding a metallic 10-speed English racer-type bike.

Though the detailed description and accompanying composite sketch have led to many tips from concerned citizens, the police have yet to find the suspect, Sergeant Paul Musi of the PPD's homicide division explained.

"We've gotten a lot of phone calls for look-alikes," Musi said. "Mostly we get DNA from those people, and we don't have a hit yet."

While some media outlets have suggested that there is a connection between the Fairmount Park rapes and the recent string of rapes that have occurred near New Jersey's Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, Musi said there is currently "not much" evidence to support that theory.

At this moment, there does not seem to be a threat to Penn's campus, but officials caution students to be aware of the situation.

While Penn's Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush said "there is absolutely zero connection to any students at Penn," she also urged students to be cautious in general and "have their ears on" during safety information and training sessions offered during New Student Orientation week.

Musi echoed her comments.

"Well, there's a rapist out there," he said, adding that students should not be ignorant of what is going on. Still, he emphasized that both rapes occurred within the confines of Fairmount Park, which is a significant distance from the University.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.