A man arrested over the alleged abduction and rape of three women is under investigation for attacks involving nine further victims, police have confirmed.
Joseph McCann, 34, became the subject of a large-scale manhunt after the three women, all in their 20s, were assaulted in three separate incidents in the London area on 21 and 25 April.
Following a two-week search, police were informed that two girls aged 14 had been forced into a car and abducted by McCann in the Cheshire town of Congleton on Sunday. He reportedly crashed the vehicle during a police pursuit and then got into a taxi before fleeing on foot.
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“Mr McCann was found in a tree in Smithy Lane on Sunday evening and arrested after a stand-off with police negotiators,” the BBC reports. The two teenage girls were said to be “extremely shaken” but unharmed.
The broadcaster says that McCann is also being investigated in relation to a number of other attacks across Cheshire, Manchester and Lancashire, including the rape of an 11-year-old boy and 71-year-old woman.
According to Sky News, police believe the victims were targeted at random.
Detective Chief Inspector Katherine Goodwin of the Metropolitan Police said the attacks were “grotesque and horrifying”.
Met Police Commander Simon Rose said: “I think we’re exceptionally relieved that he’s in custody and exceptionally grateful for the help and support we’ve had of so many members of the public in all the calls.”
The driver of the taxi in which McCann tried to flee has been hailed as a “hero” for his role in apprehending the fugitive, the Daily Mail reports.
The cabbie, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I realised who he was from the way he was acting and saying certain things like not to go down routes.
“He was hiding his face and ducking down and told me, ‘Whatever happens don’t go down the A34’. Further up the road, I saw a police officer talking to another member of the public on the side of the road so I flashed them.”
McCann allegedly assaulted the driver and a police officer before running into a field.
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