Women who live and work in Philadelphia's Society Hill neighborhood seemed relieved Wednesday evening, just hours after a suspect turned himself in and was charged with one of at least six violent robberies and attacks.
"It was one of my friends who was attacked, so I was appalled by it," Diane Rossheim said.
The manhunt for Willie Wyche ended when he surrendered to authorities after allegedly seeing himself in surveillance video that police made public on Tuesday.
"He knew we were after him. He saw the video so he knew," said Police Captain Sharon Seaborough.
The surveillance video was from an attack on Lombard Street on July 10. Wylie, 39, has been charged with that crime. He's a suspect in several other assaults where women were also grabbed from behind and some of them choked. And a 60-year-old woman was attacked in her kitchen.
"We have not ruled him out on that, no we have not," police said.
Wyche was released from prison in May after serving time for robbery and attempted rape.
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"This guy was a very heinous guy, serving 20 years in custody only to come out and engage in this type of behavior," said Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel.
"He's obviously a sick man," said Rossheim.
