Serial Rapist Not Tied to New Attack : Crime: Police quickly respond to the early-morning assault in San Clemente, but the suspect escapes. His approach and method did not match those of the earlier incidents.

With citizens already on the lookout for a serial rapist who has terrorized this coastal community since October, police said Monday that the weekend rape of a woman in her late 30s probably was not committed by the same attacker.

But Police Sgt. Richard Downing said that because of increased public awareness, it may be only a matter of time before the serial rapist is captured.

In the latest attack, which occurred on Avenida del Poniente near Plaza Park, the victim’s screams for help early Sunday morning were heard by an alert neighbor who summoned police to the woman’s home within seconds. Unfortunately, Downing said, those seconds gave the rapist just enough time to escape after the assault, which lasted from one to two minutes.

“We had patrol officers on the scene in seconds,” Downing said. “We are really alerted to prowlers and rapists. People are listening for any screams.”

An intensified police effort is under way to find the rapist who has attacked five victims but has so far eluded capture.

“We get psychics and all kinds of things down here,” Downing said. “We followed up many, many leads, and talked to many, many potential perverts.”

Police believe the latest attack is not related to the previous rapes, Downing said, because the profile of the victim is different from the others--this victim was older--and the attacker’s approach and method did not match those of the earlier assaults.

In the latest attack, police said, a slender man in his 30s, 6 feet tall and with brown hair, came to the woman’s home about 1 a.m. Sunday, claiming to be a representative of a religious organization.

When she unlocked her door to take some literature from him, the man forced his way into the house and attacked her, Downing said.

The serial rapist has reportedly stalked his victims to learn their habits and attacked them when he was certain they were alone. The victims were bound, gagged and blindfolded before being sexually assaulted.

In the latest case, the woman was not gagged, and her screams may have caused her attacker to flee, Downing said.

“He was just in there for a minute or two, and she was screaming, and we think that scared him away,” the police officer said.

“We don’t think this person is responsible for any recent, past rapes in San Clemente,” Downing said. “We are still looking into it, though.”