3 Prostitutes Killed in Same Area of South-Central Over 6-Month Period

Three prostitutes have been killed in a square-mile area of South-Central Los Angeles over the last six months, but authorities said Tuesday that they are not ready to call the deaths the acts of a serial killer.

“That is not the case at this point,” Lt. John Rogers said at a press briefing Tuesday evening. “The main factor in all of the killings is their proximity. We have no further information at this time to connect them.”

Rogers said detectives are also investigating a case of aggravated sexual assault in the same area, but only because of its proximity. The victim of that assault survived.

The murder victims were 20 to 40 years old, and investigators have a description of a suspect. But Rogers said he would not release the description Tuesday because investigators are not sure of its validity. Rogers also would not disclose the dates of the crimes.

“It’s not unusual to have prostitutes as victims of homicides,” he said. “When she gets in a car or goes out with a stranger, she knows that may be the last thing she does.”

The victim who survived the sexual assault has been very helpful, Rogers said, “but there are still a lot of things to check.” He declined to describe her injuries.

Rogers said that investigators have been interviewing prostitutes, and that they were already aware of the killings.

“They have one of the best networks there is,” he said. “They’re well aware of our situation.”