Fayetteville police say text about rapes is misinformation
Fayetteville police say that a text message being circulated about a series of recent burglaries and sexual assaults is false.
Posted — UpdatedPolice said the text message did not originate from the department and has nothing to with their investigation. The source of the information in the message is unknown, police said.
Six women in Fayetteville and a seventh in Hope Mills have been sexually assaulted since late June by a man who broke into their homes – usually apartments – late at night while they were home alone, according to police reports. In an eighth case, a burglar tried to sexually assault a Fayetteville woman before fleeing.
Fayetteville police said they notified neighbors after each attack, but they didn't publicly connect the cases until Jan. 11, when they announced the formation of a task force to investigate the crimes.
Hoke County Sheriff Hubert Peterkin has said that he recently learned that DNA evidence from an Aug. 10 sexual assault in the Lindsey Road area east of Raeford matches evidence from an unsolved sexual assault in Fayetteville.
Fayetteville police urged residents to be aware of their surroundings and to call 911 if they see any suspicious activity. For non-emergencies, call 910-433-1529.
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