Westside
RAPE ALERT: About 300 Santa Monica residents turned out Sunday to listen to police warnings about an armed robber and rapist preying on men and women along Pico Boulevard.
The suspect has raped and robbed at least two women, and robbed two men in pre-dawn attacks between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, police said. All of the victims have been accosted on or near Pico Boulevard on the city’s eastside.
Called by two homeowners associations, the purpose of the meeting was to notify residents of the assaults and to have police and a sexual assault expert advise residents on how to stay safe.
Resident Stephen Johnson attended Sunday’s meeting with his wife and 16-year-old daughter. “You hear about crimes all the time. We don’t even go out at night anymore because of the crime,” Johnson said.
Since the crimes occurred, police have increased patrols in the area, and have distributed more than 3,000 composite drawings of the suspect, said Sgt. Frank Fabrega.
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