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Police announced Wednesday that they arrested a man who may be behind a series of attacks and attempted rape, reports KTLA. He was detained a day after the LAPD announced a $35,000 reward for help with the case.
As we'd reported earlier this month, on August 1 a man let himself into a East Hollywood apartment and subsequently entered a woman's apartment after she'd left it open to go to the laundry room. The man assaulted the woman when she returned, but soon fled away when she started screaming.
An hour later, he entered an apartment in Filipinotown and let himself into another unlocked apartment. He then assaulted the woman who lived there, but fled when the woman's dogs began attacking him. According to KTLA, the man was responsible for four attacks on that one day. An LAPD release said that the suspect is believed to be involved with assaults perpetrated in Echo Park, Downtown, East Hollywood and Silver Lake.
A news conference regarding the arrest will be held at 1 p.m. today. We will update with new information.
Update [2:05 p.m.]: The suspect has been identified as 34-year-old Russell Harris. Authorities said that he also has a criminal record in New York, New Jersey, and Georgia. Officers said that Harris had attempted to break into another home in Pasadena during the early afternoon on August 9. A resident alerted the police, and officers from the Pasadena Police Department came to apprehend the suspect. Harris was later detained that the Twin Towers Correctional Facility. Authorities say that he'd broken a leg while attempting to jump several fences.
This sequence of events had happened before the $35,000 reward was posted, meaning that the LAPD was unaware that Harris was already in custody at the time. The LAPD did not make the connection until another resident called in to identify Harris. Using this new information, officers located Harris at the Twin Towers and subsequently put a hold on him.
The district attorney's office has filed one count for assault to commit rape, six counts of burglary in the first degree, and one count of burglary in the second degree.
Miriam Hernandez of ABC 7 posted up a video of the news conference on her Facebook:
