East Coast Rapist suspect faces five life sentences in Prince William

The man suspected of terrorizing women with sexual assaults from Virginia to Rhode Island over 12 years asked, "Why haven't you picked me up sooner?" when he was arrested last week, a prosecutor said Monday in court.

Aaron Thomas, 39, made his first court appearance in New Haven Superior Court in Connecticut, wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap. The man responsible for the attacks has been dubbed the East Coast Rapist by authorities.

Prosecutor David Strollo said the unemployed truck driver described himself as having "a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" personality regarding women. Strollo said Thomas made incriminating statements about his involvement in the rapes to a marshal.

Thomas' public defender, Joe Lopez, said he had attempted to waive his client's appearance at the court hearing, which a judge denied. Lopez declined to comment afterward. Bail was set at $1.5 million.

Strollo said DNA from a cigarette that police saw Thomas discard after leaving a local court was used to confirm that Thomas was the man wanted in the attacks, which began in 1997. He said Thomas has lived in New Haven for about four years.

In Prince William today, investigators from Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut and Rhode Island gathered in conference room in Prince William County’s western district police station to talk about Friday's arrest.

Investigators say DNA evidence links Thomas, of 25 Englewood Drive in New Haven, Conn., to 17 attacks that span 12 years and 400 miles.

Prince William County police have also obtained warrants charging Thomas with two counts of rape, three counts of abduction and three counts of use of a firearm in commission of a felony for a Halloween 2009 attack on three teens.

Prince William Commonwealth’s attorney Paul Ebert said Thomas will likely be prosecuted in New Haven before being extradited to Virginia. For the Prince William County charges, Thomas faces up to five life sentences.

At the news conference Monday, Ebert said hearing of Thomas’ arrest was “like music to my ears.”

“This case concerned me almost as much as the DC sniper case did,” Ebert said.

In the Dale City case, the man stopped three teens in Dale City, as they walked home from trick-or-treating. He raped two 16-year-old-girls while the third, a 17-year-old girl, texted her mother for help, police said at the time.

Ebert said that case frightened many parents in the area.

“It convinced many to change their behaviors, particularly on Halloween night,” Ebert said.

Investigators said Thomas was on a list of 700 suspects developed during the course of their investigation. A website launched Feb. 25 and an electronic billboard campaign launched Feb. 28 may have led to the tip that resulted in Thomas’ arrest, police said.

Police said someone called in a tip to a Crime Solvers number in Prince George’s County that led investigators to identify Thomas as a suspect. Police said they could not give more details about the tip because the investigation is still ongoing.

Police also credited LInX, an electronic database that acts like a kind of “Google for law enforcement,” with aiding investigators in the case.

“With this new technology, the resources we have to investigations now are much improved,” Ebert said.

Investigators said they are continuing to investigate Thomas’ background. Anyone with information about Thomas, or anyone who believes they may be a victim in a related case, is asked to call Crime Solvers at Call 1-866-411-TIPS.

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