Taoyuan police yesterday arrested a man suspected of carrying out random attacks against women and found that he is also wanted for attempted murder.
After receiving reports of the attacks in Taoyuan and Hsinchu and reviewing footages from street surveillance cameras, police caught the suspect in Jhongli District (中壢).
Police said they have confirmed at least two assault cases and are investigating others.
“Following the suspect’s arrest, three more women have come forward, saying they had been attacked by a man with a motorcycle U-lock. So there could be more victims, as the investigation continues,” said Lee Cheng-chun (李政峻), chief of Hsinchu’s Dongmen Police Station.
The first reported attack was on Sunday. A woman, surnamed Huang (黃), was sitting on her motorcycle waiting for a friend in Hsinchu when she was hit by a man swinging a U-lock, who then fled.
Huang sustained cuts to her face and required eight stitches, police said.
Another female motorcyclist was injured on Tuesday morning, when a man threw a large flower pot into the street.
The woman ran over the pot and fell from her bike. She sustained injuries to her face and legs.
Media reports of the attacks have sparked fears of further random assaults.
Lee said videotape evidence pointed to the suspect, and a background check showed that he is also wanted for attempted murder and has prior records on drug possession, robbery, fraud and other offenses.
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