Police: Second woman reports rape; Suspect description the same in Fulton, Clinton home invasions

A second woman was raped by an armed gunman in a string of home invasions in Fulton and nearby Clinton, Iowa, police reported Friday.

Police in both river towns are on the hunt for a slender black man who used a handgun to force his way into a Fulton home Tuesday and two Clinton homes Thursday, sexually assaulting two women.

The Fulton home invasion occurred about 1 a.m. Tuesday; a woman there was raped and robbed at gunpoint, Fulton police said in their release.

The first incident in Clinton happened two days later, at about 4 a.m. Thursday. The intruder barged in and demanded money, but did not sexually assault the woman at that home, police said. An hour later, a woman was raped in a second home invasion, Clinton Police reported.

The description of the gunman in all three incidents is essentially the same: a thin black man in his early to mid 20s, 5-foot-8 to 6-foot tall, with brown eyes, black hair and no facial hair. Fulton police also released a sketch.

Officials are reluctant at this point to say the crimes were committed by one man, but they are investigating the possibility, Fulton Lt. Donnie Pridmore said Friday evening.

The Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department and the Illinois State Police are working closely with both police departments, the Clinton Police Department said.

Rapist sought

Police are looking for a thin black man in his early to mid 20s, 5-foot-8 to 6-foot tall, with brown eyes, black hair and no facial hair.

Anyone with information is asked to call:

■ Fulton Police: 815-589-3617

■ Whiteside County Crime Stoppers: 877-625-7867

■ Clinton Police Department: 563-243-1455.