Rapist preys on
men in Houston area

A rapist who preys on young men has struck five times in the Houston area since mid September, and Monday police speculated that there may be even more victims who are too ashamed to come forward. The rapist typically stalks, robs, and sexually assaults his victims at gunpoint, apparently choosing them at random and attacking them near or inside their homes, police said. The most recent attack was November 30. ''I wish we had a link between the victims, because we might have a better chance of catching him,'' said Lt. Richard Whitaker of the police department in Baytown, where two of the attacks took place. ''We don't have any affirmative links at all.'' He said some victims may be hesitant to come forward because of their ages and ''a pride thing'' that makes men more reluctant to acknowledge being the victim of a sex crime. Investigators believe that rape is the motive, even though some victims were robbed. DNA testing is under way in an effort to identify the attacker. In some cases, the attacker approached his victim outside his home. Other times, he broke into the home. ''I think he just sees one that he prefers, and then he begins to follow them and gather information, finding out where they live and watching their house,'' Whitaker said. Victims have described the attacker as a clean-shaven black man, 18 to 21 years old, 5 foot 6 to 6 feet tall, with a shaved head. The victims have all been men in their late teens. (Joe Stinebaker, AP)