Philadelphia police have released new information about an Aug. 3 rape in Pennypack Park, including a composite sketch of the rapist and a connection between him and a prior sex assault in the same area.
As reported previously in the Northeast Times, the unknown attacker has been described as white, 25 to 35 years old, 5-feet-9-inches tall and thin. He has a fair complexion and reddish/brown closely cut hair, along with a closely cut moustache and beard.
He has been seen driving a newer white pickup truck of an unknown model with a ladder and ladder racks.
On Wednesday, Aug. 3, at about 2:30 a.m., he allegedly approached a woman on the 6900 block of Torresdale Ave. in Tacony, struck up a conversation with her and offered to drive her to her nearby home.
The woman accepted the offer.
Instead of taking her home, however, the man drove about two miles to the 8100 block of Cresco Ave. where he dragged the woman from his truck into the park, punched her multiple times and sexually assaulted her. He threatened her and ordered her not to seek help as he fled the area, police said.
The woman used a mobile phone to call 911.
Last week, police said that a similar attack involving a vehicle occurred on July 16 at 2:30 a.m. at 8000 Cresco Ave. In both cases, the victims were in their 20s and supplied similar descriptions of their attackers.
Since the Aug. 3 incident, investigators have focused on the Torresdale Avenue area to seek information about possible suspects from women seen walking the street at nighttime.
Call the special victims unit at 215–685–3251 or 3252 to report information about the cases. ••
