DNA Links Suspect to Decades-Old Rapes

Phillip Cerf, a 62-year-old man from Atascocita, was arrested on Tuesday morning, July 22, 2026, facing four charges of aggravated sexual assault. Police investigations linked him to four separate rape incidents that took place across multiple decades. The earliest alleged attack occurred in June 1997, when a woman reported being offered a ride, taken to a ballpark, and sexually assaulted multiple times at gunpoint. Another victim reported a similar assault in April 2009, where she was lured into a car with drugs and subsequently attacked in a graveyard. Police released a sketch in June 2013 following a third incident where a woman mistook Cerf for someone she knew and accepted a ride, only to be raped at knifepoint. The fourth victim reported being raped in July 2016 after accepting a ride from Cerf, who displayed a gun. Investigators connected all four cases in July 2025 and identified Cerf as a suspect in February 2026. Surveillance and DNA evidence, obtained from a saliva swab after officers observed him spitting, confirmed his connection to all victims. Cerf denied the accusations during an interview, claiming he never owned a gun or given rides. His bond has been set at $2 million.