NEW HAVEN

DEPARTMENT OF POLICE SERVICE

One Union Avenue  New Haven  Connecticut  06519

Special Investigations Unit

Frank Limon John DeStefano, Jr.
Chief of Police Mayor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, March 5, 2011

NEWS RELEASE

NEW HAVEN – An East Coast Rapist Task Force, consisting of New Haven, Fairfax
County, Prince William County, Prince George’s County, Leesburg, Cranston Police
Departments and the FBI, was developed in December of 2009, in an effort to investigate
a series of sexual assaults. The sexual assaults span from 1997 to 2009. Twelve cases
have been linked by DNA to the same offender.

Yesterday, on March 4, 2011, at approximately 2:15 pm, Aaron Thomas was taken into
custody without incident by the US Marshal’s and the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive
Task Forces, while walking on Cooper Place in New Haven, Connecticut. Fugitive Task
Force members should be commended for their apprehension of Thomas. They include:
New Haven Police Officers John Palmer and Steve Manware, Hamden Police Officer
Ray Quinn, Prince William County Detective Cameron Crouch, and US Marshals
Osmund Tan, Marty Flynn and Mike Novak.

Recent information was developed in this case, DNA was collected and subsequently
matched by the Connecticut State Forensic Science Lab, confirming that Thomas was the
East Coast Rapist.

Both the New Haven and Prince William County Police Department’s had active arrest
warrants for Thomas. New Haven Special Investigations Unit Detective Kristine Cuddy
obtained an arrest warrant for Thomas and he was charged with Sexual Assault in the
first degree, Burglary in the first degree, and Risk of injury to a minor with a 1 million

Dedicated to Protecting Our Community

phone (203) 946-6290 fax (203) 946-7375 website ww.cityofnewhaven.com/police

dollar cash bond. He was also charged as a Fugitive for Justice in the Prince William
County case with charges of 2 counts of Rape, Abduction and Use of a firearm in the
commission of a felony in the first degree.

It is important to note the coordination and effort made by each of the Task Force
agencies, all of the State’s Attorney’s Offices, the Connecticut State Forensic Science
Lab, the US Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, and the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task
Force on this case. Although the information and investigation of Thomas developed
quickly over the last week or so, we should point out that investigators worked tirelessly
for years pursuing this case. This was truly a joint collaboration on all levels. We are
proud of our investigation and hope the arrest of Aaron Thomas brings some closure to
our victims and our communities.

Investigator’s from the National Capitol Regions will be having a press conference on
Monday and all questions regarding it should be forwarded to their Public Information
Officers.

We are not releasing a photo of Thomas at this time due to the ongoing investigation and
possible identifications.

We realize there are many questions that remain unanswered, but at this time, because of
the sensitivity and magnitude of this investigation, we will be taking no questions.

Dedicated to Protecting Our Community

phone (203) 946-6290 fax (203) 946-7375 website ww.cityofnewhaven.com/police