17 Robberies, 5 Rapes, Killing Tied to 1 Suspect

A string of 17 robberies, five rapes and one killing have been linked to a man striking at vulnerable, after-hours office workers in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, police said Wednesday.

The urgency of catching the armed attacker has prompted police to release crime details typically withheld in an investigation, said Rialto police spokesman Terry Thompson. “He’s a very dangerous individual,” Thompson said.

The man, who breaks into “professional, suite-type offices” between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m., ties his victims up with telephone receiver cord, he said. The attacker, armed with a small-caliber handgun, takes cash, jewelry and cards for automated teller machines.

The crimes began in December, 1991, when the robber assaulted and robbed several people at a San Bernardino business before fleeing with cash. He last struck on March 9, in a Rancho Cucamonga robbery, police said.

The single killing occurred Feb. 4 in Rialto. Nancy Willem, 35, office manager of a mental health facility, was working alone when the robber entered, Thompson said. She was raped and then killed.

Thompson described the wanted man as black, between 6 feet 1 and 6 feet 4, and weighing 160 to 180 pounds. He wears his hair short and may have a thin mustache.