Public's Help Sought In Identifying Serial Rapist Targeting Massage Therapists

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Police Wednesday were asking for the public's help in identifying a suspect wanted for raping and robbing several female massage therapists across the Southland.

The suspect allegedly assaulted and robbed at gunpoint as many as 30 women at day spas and massage parlors in Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties since 2003, according to police.

"In the last year that we've been working on this, several leads we followed up and worked on, everything up to this point had turned up cold," Aurello Melendrez from Riverside Police Department said.

Police said in one instance the suspect chased a 55-year-old woman down a hallway, slammed her into a wall, dislocated her shoulder, knocked out five teeth then punched her and dragged her by her hair, KNX1070's Mike Landa reports.

"He is capable of great violence. Committing that against a woman, as a man, it's repulsive," Melendrez said.

The last known incident took place in 2009, but officials believe there may be more additional possible victims.

Police say some possible victims could be foreign nationals who may be too afraid to contact authorities.

Seven different law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation.

Anyone with more information about the suspect or the alleged crimes was asked to contact the Riverside Police Department.

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