After his ex-girlfriend spotted her necklace in a “wanted” poster, one of three rapists stalking our neighborhood was arrested recently.
Danny Bruce McDonald, 40, has been charged with six neighborhood rapes and is being held at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, police say.
After raping his victims, McDonald allegedly stole their ATM cards, which is how a photo was taken of the inside of his car at a drive-thru ATM machine, police say.
His ex-girlfriend’s necklace was hanging from the rear-view mirror in the photo, which she saw posted in a convenience store.
Police say two other serial rapists remain at-large, including another also known as the “ATM rapist,” who is suspected of committing three rapes in the neighborhood, and the “mailroom rapist,” suspected of committing eight area rapes. All of the crimes have occurred since August 1995.
Three of the rapes occurred in apartments located on Adleta Boulevard, just north of LBJ freeway, police say.
The “ATM rapist” follows women into their homes through locked doors during the day or night, usually when a woman is carrying groceries or has her hands full, Dallas Police Sgt. Tony Crawford says.
“They crawl or walk in behind them. They know when you can’t lock the door,” Crawford says.
The “mailroom rapist” has been attacking women in apartment complexes’ mail rooms or laundry rooms at all hours of the day or night, Crawford says.
There may be more than one suspect for the “mailroom rapist,” meaning he could be working with someone else, with one man as the decoy and the other one raping the victim, Crawford says.
Dallas Police Department personal safety officer Vicki Snow has several tips to help prevent rape:
- Keep doors and windows locked at all times, including when you are home.
- Don’t leave your name or number on your answering machine message.
- Report suspicious-looking persons to police immediately. The rapists have been staking out their victims’ homes days before attacking, police say.
- Walk confidently and pay attention to surroundings. Don’t take shortcuts, and avoid walking alone when possible.
- If you pull into your parking lot, and a stranger is standing near your apartment or waiting outside a neighbor’s door, wait to get out of your car until you see them leave.
- Above all, use common sense.
“Don’t sit there and think it’s above you, because as soon as you think that, you’re off-guard, and you could become a victim,” Snow says.
