While saying he believes just one man is responsible, Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee said Monday that authorities have detained nine men as part of their hunt for a serial rapist. Seven women were criminally sexually assaulted between January 1 and 14, police said, and another woman got away from a would-be attacker. Godbee said the victims were African-Americans, ages 17 to 33. One is from Clinton Township. The rest are from Detroit.
"We want to stop this madness as soon as possible," the chief said.
Under the direction of lead investigator Sgt. Marvin Jones, Detroit police rounded up the nine men -- ages 20 to 38 -- in and around northeast Detroit, where the assaults occurred.
They were taken into custody on unrelated charges, such as outstanding traffic warrants and carrying a concealed weapon. But Godbee said the serial rape inquiry was "the genesis" for their arrests, adding that all those behind bars are considered "persons of interest" in the case.
He added that while it's possible that several men committed the attacks, "it is our collective belief that it is a single perpetrator" because of the similarities in the incidents, Godbee said. "But we don't rule out anything."
Seven of the women were alone. They were waiting at, walking to or walking from a bus stop when they were attacked by what seems to be "a complete stranger," according to Godbee. The other victim wasn't near public transportation but was by herself, and the chief said her story mirrors the others enough that police think the assaults are related.
In an interview with HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell, Godbee defended the speed and scope of the police response, adding that authorities devoted considerable resources and alerted the public soon after determining the crimes were not isolated.
"We had no lapse in our response," he said. "(As soon as) the pattern was brought to our attention, we thought that it was necessary to notify the public."
Police say they believe the suspect is roughly 5 feet, 9 inches tall, is thin and sported a goatee at the time of the attacks. He was wearing a black coat, black jeans and black boots.
On Monday, police released two new composite sketches of the suspect -- in addition to another revealed last week -- derived from interviews with the assault victims. The drawings highlight specifics from their accounts, such as that the suspect had severe acne or blemishes and was wearing a black skull cap.
None of the nine men arrested in recent days has been singled out publicly. But police hope scientific test results will add clarity as to whether any of them should be considered active suspects.
The chief did not specify what was being tested or from whom. But he said that results are expected back within days, and that they might help confirm or deny that all the assaults were related and perhaps who committed them.
"When we get the crime lab results back, we're very confident they will help," Godbee said. "If they pinpoint the person with relative certainty, that makes our job exponentially easier."
In the meantime, he urged residents to call police with relevant information and help each other. He said more than 80 tips had been received as of Monday evening.
Men in the community should make an effort to safeguard female relatives and friends, he told reporters Monday, adding, "We need to be extra vigilant watching our young ladies."
Responding to a line of questioning from Velez-Mitchell, who implied that it wasn't right a woman should need a man around to feel safe, Godbee stood by his assertion.
"I have a 17-year-old daughter, and I would do the same thing for her," he said on HLN. "The men of the city of Detroit, we are very vigilant about being protectors -- not only about our community, but the women of our community."
The chief told reporters earlier in the day that he didn't want people to live in fear, either.
"We understand this predator. We understand where he's hitting. But we want the public to be vigilant," Godbee said. "We are not going to let this monster cripple us."
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