Police May Link Lubbock Rapes to Ones in Austin, Albuquerque
By: Kristen Kennedy
Updated: November 2, 2009
More on a story we've been following since Sunday - Lubbock police believe they've found the man responsible for three rapes here, and a dozen more in Austin and Albuquerque.
Colorado authorities have arrested 47 year-old Robert Bruce. Albuquerque Police have already used DNA to link him to 11 sexual assaults near the University of New Mexico campus. They arrested Bruce for completely different charges than the Austin and Albuquerque assualts he's now linked to. Pueblo, Colorado authorities arrested him for trying to blow up an officer's home. After being arrested in Colorado, New Mexico authorities used his DNA to link him to 11 sexual assualts happening near the University of New Mexico campus - the first of those cases reported almost 20 years ago. Now Lubbock authorities believe he may be the one responsible for three sexual assualts that happened here back in 2005. Captain Greg Stevens with the Lubbock Police Department says their case is very similar to the cases in both Austin and Albuquerque. Austin and Albuquerque police called Bruce 'The Ether Man' for the chemicals he used to knock out his victims.
"The victims are college age or college students. The suspects either entered the home or the residence of the victim or laid in wait for the victims in their homes, and the victims were apparently disabled by some chemical means," says Stevens.
Bruce is being held in a Pueblo County Jail. He'll be extradited to New Mexico as soon as charges in Colorado are completed.
Colorado authorities have arrested 47 year-old Robert Bruce. Albuquerque Police have already used DNA to link him to 11 sexual assaults near the University of New Mexico campus. They arrested Bruce for completely different charges than the Austin and Albuquerque assualts he's now linked to. Pueblo, Colorado authorities arrested him for trying to blow up an officer's home. After being arrested in Colorado, New Mexico authorities used his DNA to link him to 11 sexual assualts happening near the University of New Mexico campus - the first of those cases reported almost 20 years ago. Now Lubbock authorities believe he may be the one responsible for three sexual assualts that happened here back in 2005. Captain Greg Stevens with the Lubbock Police Department says their case is very similar to the cases in both Austin and Albuquerque. Austin and Albuquerque police called Bruce 'The Ether Man' for the chemicals he used to knock out his victims.
"The victims are college age or college students. The suspects either entered the home or the residence of the victim or laid in wait for the victims in their homes, and the victims were apparently disabled by some chemical means," says Stevens.
Bruce is being held in a Pueblo County Jail. He'll be extradited to New Mexico as soon as charges in Colorado are completed.
