Police arrest rape suspect linked to multiple assaults

Los Angeles police have arrested a man linked to multiple sexual assaults and robberies. The suspect, Andre Cobbs, is accused of at least nine sexual assaults and four robberies over the past two decades. His latest alleged attack took place on Figueroa Street last month. Police Chief Jim McDonnell announced the arrest during a Police Commission meeting. Cobbs, 40, was taken into custody after a woman escaped from his car where she was assaulted. Despite the trauma, she managed to take a photo of Cobbs and his vehicle, which helped police identify him. Authorities uploaded Cobbs' DNA to the FBI’s database, linking him to other unsolved cases. An arrest warrant was issued on March 18, and Cobbs was booked into jail the same day. He is being held on a $1.7 million bond and is scheduled for a court appearance on April 1. The assaults have occurred across Los Angeles County, including in Long Beach and Corona. Many of the victims were reportedly sex workers. Investigators are still searching for more victims and have noted similar incidents involving Cobbs in past years. In 2009, he faced charges for robbing and assaulting a sex worker in Lynwood.