CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — An alleged serial rapist who police say has been attacking women in the Clayton County area since July 2015 is in custody, authorities confirm.
Clayton County Police say they've identified 24-year-old Kenneth Thomas Bowen III as the suspect using DNA evidence to connect him to at least eight violent sexual assaults throughout the county.
Authorities said they arrested Bowen on Tuesday at his job and charged him with rape.
According to the department, Bowen was once briefly employed with the Clayton County Police Department as a police recruit; however, he was terminated prior to completion of the academy. Bowen III was never a certified police officer with the Clayton County Police Department.
Investigators had been trying to catch Bowen since he first allegedly started attacking back in 2015. Police said all his known victims were African-American women between the ages of 19-39. In all of the cases, police said went after victims who lived in either apartment complexes or townhomes, or, in one of the cases, in a single-family home.
In most of the attacks, police said they were able to link the cases with DNA evidence.
“The DNA evidence does not give us a specific name, but the DNA evidence all links to the same person,” explained Clayton County Police SVU Capt. Scott Stubbs back then.
Investigators were initially able to come up with a sketch of the suspect, based off two victims' descriptions. Then, in the most recent alleged attack this past July, police were able to come up with a third sketch. But, because of "lulls" in each incident, it made it hard for police to make much progress in identifying a suspect.
"None (of the attacks) have been consistent, which is making it very challenging," police said.
Photos: Clayton County accused serial rapist
The attacks had left the community on edge, with police warning everyone - especially women - to "be very aware of your surroundings." Police had pledged to work aggressively to catch the person behind the attacks.
Though they haven't yet released details on how they caught Bowen, they're expected to release more information in a press conference on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the case is still under investigation.
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