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Elias Diaz, 46, was arrested on the park trail on Sunday, Dec. 17, police said previously.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 19, Philadelphia police, District Attorney Larry Krasner, and FBI officials said Diaz's DNA was linked to evidence collected from the scenes of multiple sexual assaults in Fairmount Park from 2003.
He is also said to be linked to the July 13, 2003 murder of 30-year-old Rebecca Park, whose remains were discovered after she disappeared while jogging in Fairmount, authorities said.
Investigators said they had long suspected the Fairmount crimes were connected, and that witnesses in each case described a Hispanic man on a purple bike.
"Science outran this guy's bicycle," said DA Krasner, adding that his office is "going to prosecute every case that comes from this."
Police have claimed Diaz slashed a jogger multiple times across the arms and hands, around 8:15 a.m. on Nov. 22.
Days later on Nov. 24, a man was walking the park trail around 9 a.m. when he was approached by Diaz on a black BMX bike, investigators said.
Diaz attacked the victim with a large knife, leaving lacerations to his hands and arms, police believe.
The most recent incident occurred Wednesday morning, Dec. 6 around 8:30 a.m., according to PPD. A woman said she was walking when Diaz allegedly "became agitated and began yelling at her," per investigators.
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