The Columbus Division of Police may have made a break in the serial rape case which brought national attention to the Ohio State area this past summer.
Kennedy Wheeler, a 41-year-old black male with a prior sexual assault conviction, was taken into custody Monday on a charge of receiving stolen property.
The suspect was allegedly seen using either an ATM card or credit card that was reported stolen in a series of off-campus burglaries coinciding with the six sexual assaults which began in May. Because of their proximity and concurrent timing, police haven’t ruled out a link between the two cases.
“Because the suspect in custody is so close to the description (given of the serial rapist), and considering his history, we would be remiss not to actively pursue the possibility,” said Sherry Mercurio, spokeswoman for the Columbus Division of Police.
Having acquired an arrest warrant for Wheeler, police confronted the suspect near Reflections Drive. Wheeler led officers on a chase on foot before being apprehended in a field adjacent to Don Scott airport, said Sgt. Brent Mull, spokesman for the Columbus Division of Police.
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