Police Arrest 'East Coast Rapist' Suspect

Prince William County Police confirmed Friday evening that a man suspected of being the "East Coast Rapist" had been arrested in New Haven, Conn. The man is suspected in attacks on 17 women since 1997, including an attack on three teenagers in 2009 in Dale City.

The U.S. Marshals Service has not identified the man in custody, but The Huffington Post reported that the man was arrested based on information that came from officials in Virginia.

The arrest comes after authorities launched a massive media campaign that included posting images of the suspect on electronic bulletin boards in states in which the attacks occurred, including Virginia, Connecticut, Maryland and Rhode Island. Officials launched eastcoastrapist.com, which reportedly received 44,000 visits within 12 hours of launch.

The site includes information about an attack that occurred in Leesburg on May 24, 2001.

At around 7:45p.m. that night, a man entered a victim's apartment through the front door, while she was moving out. Surprising her, he took her into an unfurnished room, threatened her with a screwdriver, bound and raped her, according to the site. He fled the apartment, stealing her clothes and cell phone. Police believed he may have been associated with other residents living in the complex, according to the website.

No charges had been filed as of Friday evening, and the U.S. Marshals Service said it would likely release further information about the arrest and the suspect in the coming days.

The East Coast Rapist often wore a mask or hood during the attacks. The attack in Dale City occurred on the evening of Halloween in 2009. The attacker approached three teenage girls, two 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old, on their way home from a night of trick-or-treating. The man threatened the girls with a gun and led them into a wooded ravine where he raped the two 17-year-olds, police said. The 16-year-old victim was able to text her mother on her cell phone during the attack and police rushed to the scene, but the attacker escaped as police closed in.

Prince William County Police were scheduled to hold a press conference on Friday evening to discuss the arrest.