Fear of Rapist Grips San Clemente : Crime: Four assaults in the past four months have led to an upsurge of vigilance in homes--and a rush on gun stores.

Nestled amid steep hills overlooking the local high school, the Broadmoor subdivision is a quiet neighborhood of upscale homes featuring postcard views. But this picture of serenity belies the terror gripping this coastal city of 41,000 residents that became famous as Richard M. Nixon’s presidential retreat.

For the last four months, a serial rapist who binds and gags his victims before assaulting them has been stalking women in and near Broadmoor. Three of the four attacks, which began in October, took place here.

A week ago, the rapist struck in another part of town, fueling fears that he is expanding his territory, emboldened by his success at eluding capture.

Women are going to sleep at night with baseball bats hidden under their beds. They are afraid to go for a walk in broad daylight unless accompanied by a friend. Parents are insisting that teen-age daughters be escorted to the front door when they are dropped off at home after school events. Others are rushing out to buy handguns, stun guns and Mace.

“It’s terrible,” said one 43-year-old woman who no longer allows her teen-age daughter to remain in their Broadmoor house alone. “It’s like you’re a prisoner in your own home.”

Like other residents interviewed, she asked that her name not be published because the rapist remains at large.

Police are seeking a man seen in the vicinity of one of the attacks and believed to be about 6 feet tall, 165 pounds and cleanshaven, with light brown hair.

In a city such as Los Angeles, where violent crime is an everyday occurrence, four rapes would not be considered major news. But in San Clemente, where police still know the locations of most businesses, the rapes have a chilling effect.

“This was just such a shock in San Clemente,” a 64-year-old resident said. “We used to never worry about locking the front door. Now, you walk in the house and that’s the first thing you do.”

The violence has hit particularly hard in this city just north of Camp Pendleton, where many military families are already struggling to cope with the trauma of having relatives deployed in the Persian Gulf.

“The anxiety level is already up. This just compounds it,” said James Krembas, the principal at San Clemente High School, where 150 students have parents in the Gulf. “It has really been a very difficult year.”

As word of the attacks has spread, some residents are resorting to drastic measures to protect themselves. A 65-year-old man whose teen-age neighbor was one of the rapist’s victims said he has taught his own teen-age daughter to shoot a 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun. Whenever he has to leave her home alone, he makes sure his daughter has the weapon within easy reach.

“I’ve told her, if you have to shoot it, don’t stop at one bullet,” he said. “She keeps the gun with her all day, and she just feels safer.”

Gun stores in the San Clemente area are reporting a dramatic increase in inquiries from women about buying handguns, stun guns and Mace. Most of those shopping for pistols are not interested in a relatively low-powered .22-caliber model, said J.R. Naples, a gun salesman in nearby San Juan Capistrano.

“They’re looking at big guns,” he said. “Some of them are shooting magnums and .357s. Whoever this guy is, I hope he doesn’t come around one of these girls with a big gun, because if he does, he’s going to be a big spot there.”

In October, a 29-year-old homeless woman, whom police described as mentally retarded, was walking down Avenida Pico near Interstate 5 when a man forced her into a vehicle that police believe was a light-blue van.

He blindfolded her, bound her hands and gagged her before sexually molesting her, police said. But police did not learn of the incident until a month later, after a 13-year-old girl was raped in her nearby Broadmoor home.

In that incident, which occurred about 8:30 p.m. on a Saturday, police said the victim was home alone when the doorbell rang. As she approached the unlocked door, the man rushed in, immediately covered her eyes with his hands and forced her into another room. He bound her hands with braiding from her brother’s military uniform, blindfolded and gagged her with a necktie and raped her, police said. He ran out the front door when the victim’s mother returned.

It would be three months before the third attack. On Feb. 4, a 19-year-old woman had just turned off the lights in her home to go to bed when an intruder entered through an unlocked sliding glass door, police said. The man tied the woman’s hands with electrical cord from an alarm clock, blindfolded her with a T-shirt, gagged her with a sock then demanded to know where money was kept, police said.

He then took her into a room and raped her. During the ordeal, the assailant placed a knife at the victim’s throat and threatened to kill her, police said. He fled when approaching car lights shined onto the house.

About two weeks later, a 26-year-old woman was attacked outside her Avenida Del Mar apartment as she was returning home from work about 1:15 a.m. As she unlocked her front door, police said, a man grabbed her from behind and shoved her inside. The attacker bound her hands, gagged her and raped her for about 15 minutes, police said.

The most recent attack, which occurred outside the Broadmoor area, has fueled fears that no one in town is safe.

“Up until this last one, he was in the Broadmoor area,” said Sgt. Richard Downing, who is heading the police investigation. “But now that he’s moved into this other area, it’s a mess.”

Downing said police have no suspects but believe that the rapist lives in the San Clemente area.

The department is sponsoring a rape awareness workshop at 7 p.m. Monday at the San Clemente Community Center on Avenida Del Mar. Michal Heller, director of education for the Orange County Sexual Assault Network, will discuss prevention and vigilance.

Meanwhile, Downing urges residents to be aware of their surroundings at all times and to keep doors and windows locked. Do not answer the door, he said, unless you know who is on the other side.

“We feel this person picks out his victims,” Downing said. “So, if you see someone strange that is following you, don’t go into your house. Drive to a safe place--the police station or a service station is always good.”

He also suggested keeping outdoor lights on at night.

There’s not much else that residents can do besides make certain that their own homes are secure. “You try to go on with your daily living,” said one 33-year-old woman who lives near Broadmoor, “but it’s on the back of everyone’s mind. I just hope that he doesn’t evaporate.

“I want them to catch him so then we’ll know for sure when it’s over.”

Rape Trend

Forcible rapes in Orange County dropped in recent years. 1980: 432 1981: 415 1982: 334 1983: 400 1984: 408 1985: 370 1986: 427 1987: 461 1988: 439 1989: 420* * Most recent data available Source: California Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Statistics