A serial attacker still hasn’t been caught.
As police step up patrols and keep searching for the perpetrator of 10 unprovoked attacks in recent weeks, Waltham residents are trying to make sense of the seemingly-random incidents.
“I have no idea why someone would do this, and it scares me, it really terrifies me," said Jackie Sol, a Waltham resident.
Waltham Police say they believe the same male suspect is responsible for 10 separate incidents in which men were assaulted and sometimes struck in the face or head with an object. Police say they have no reports of a firearm being used during the assaults.
Five of the incidents occurred near the Gardencrest apartment complex, and another five occurred in the city’s downtown. The attacks have occurred between 5:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
On Sunday night, both Waltham Police and Massachusetts State Police patrolled near Gardencrest, including having a helicopter in the air to keep a lookout.
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“I walk my dog. He can be outside and hurt me," said Cris Elias, another Waltham resident.
The most recent attack was reported Friday night by a man who said he was hit in the face by a blunt object.
Pete Faccenda lives at Gardencrest, and believes the suspect is hiding in the brush by the old railroad tracks.
“It’s easy to hide in the track area or behind the dumpster and come out when someone comes to dump their trash,” said Faccenda.
Police released surveillance video Saturday evening of a suspect they believe might be responsible. One video shows the suspect walking, and the other shows him running away.
One of the victims says he was smoking a cigarette by the dumpster near his apartment when he was brutally assaulted by the man with a blunt object.
A mailman at the apartment complex was also attacked.
“All my neighbors are theorizing he mapped this out. Obviously he’s good at it because 10 random incidents and not getting caught, it’s just more than luck,” said Faccenda.
Waltham Police urged residents who live in the area to be aware of their surroundings and to contact police with any information.
“My husband will come and pick me up and make sure that I walk the other person to their car because we're so scared," Sol said.
