Suicide in Cell
SAN DIEGO - A Tierrasanta man accused of seven sexual assaults on women in San Diego over the past year died by hanging Friday in his cell at the San Diego Central Jail in an apparent suicide, according to the Medical Examiner's Office and sheriff's officials.
The body of Thomas James Parker, 39, was found hanging from a sheet around 7 a.m. by deputies conducting a security check, according to the coroner.
Deputies, the jail's medical staff, firefighters and paramedics attempted lifesaving measures, but he was soon pronounced dead, said San Diego sheriff's Sgt. Roy Frank.
Parker was not on suicide watch, said sheriff's Lt. Julie Sutton.
On Wednesday, Parker, was shackled, handcuffed and taken into police custody after trying to attack a Mission Valley woman in the garage of her home. But the 33-year-old woman -- an avid marathon runner -- fought back and chased Parker as he attempted to flee.
Parker was captured by police at a shopping center a few blocks away with help from passersbys, including two off-duty Border Patrol agents.
The Tierrasanta man faced many serious charges related to a string of attacks over the past year. The method of attack was usually the same. The suspect went in through the victim's garage door, threatened a female victim with a knife, demanded money, and tried to sexually attack the woman.
"Mr. Parker -- unless he has an identical twin -- is, in fact, the source of the DNA found in these cases," stated Mike Grubb, the San Diego Police Crime Lab Manager.
On Thursday, detectives say they compared DNA samples in three of the seven cases and it matches.
"The biological material from the assailant was either left on the victim herself on her clothing items," explained Grubb.
Captain Jim Collins with San Diego Police said there was another aspect of the attacks that was similar. "The suspect in all the cases was using cable ties or zip ties to restrain his victims and that's one of the factors that tied the cases together."
The 39-year old Tierrasanta father of two was to have been charged in relation to all seven cases.
Parker was the co-owner of "It's a Grind" Coffeehouse in Little Italy.
Police say there might be other victims, and police are asking them to come forward.
The prior assaults occurred in Carmel Valley, Tierrasanta, the College area and near UC San Diego, as well as Mission Valley.
Most of the victims were young Asian women, and in all of the attacks, the assailant demanded money before sexually assaulting the women, police said.
Getting the man responsible has been a high priority for the San Diego Police Department.
"Our efforts paid off yesterday when (the) victim decided she was going to fight back against her attacker," said SDPD Capt. Jim Collins.
Parker was scheduled to be arraigned Monday.
Christina Hennigan takes us through the frightening moments just after she pulled into her garage and was confronted by accused serial rapist Thomas Parker.
Neighbors Shocked
Parker's Tierrasanta neighbors are in disbelief. They say Parker -- known to his friends and family as Jim -- is thought of as a good, God-fearing, loving husband and father of two children.
Neighbors we talked to say they were in total shock. Sandra Drahman has called Parker her next door neighbor for many years. "I see him in the yard. We talk about kids and politics and things like that, and he just seems like a regular guy."
Joanne West also calls Parker her next door neighbor. "It's a bit alarming. You know if the allegations are true, it would be kind of scary to have somebody living next door who has done these things."
They describe Parker as the loving father of a five-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl.
Neighbors also tell us that Parker owns the "It's A Grind" coffee house in Little Italy. On a night when the area is bustling with activity, the coffee shop is shutdown. Inside, undercover detectives could be seen gathering evidence.
A customer named Patti frequents the coffee house. She, like many, can't believe the accusations. "The coffeehouse is a nice place to come to, and I am not going to think personally about the entire business, because of this one particular person."
 | Suspect Caught 7/1/09 Police believe they may have the man involved in a string of sexual assaults dating back to last year. Police say they caught 39-year old Thomas Parker after he entered a home and tried to assault a woman. |
Earlier Assaults
A serial rapist has attacked at least six Asian women in home invasion robberies and sexual assaults in San Diego, dating back to last June.
In April of this year, a young woman was attacked in the 6500 block of Reflection Drive near Mission Valley in the Tierrasanta area. The victim had her young child with her.
The woman had just returned home and taken her 18-month-old child inside the family's apartment before going back to her vehicle for other items when a man grabbed her from behind as she re-entered her home, Collins said.
He demanded cash at knifepoint, then sexually assaulted her before fleeing, according to Collins, who said the child was not hurt.
"I'm Asian myself," says Alice Blasser, who lives in the same neighborhood where the most recent attack occurred. "So it makes me, kind of like, scared."
The suspect is described as being white or Hispanic, around 30 years old and 5 feet 6 inches with a medium build.
In each case, the suspect got in through an open garage or front door, generally while the victim was carrying items into the home. All of the victims have been Asian women between the ages of 20 and 48, Collins said.
The first case occurred June 6 in the 6500 block of Montezuma Road, near San Diego State. Other assaults occurred Nov. 7 in the UC San Diego Mesa Housing area in the 9200 block of Regents Road; Jan. 16 at a house in the 5100 block of Camino Playa De Oro in Tierrasanta; Feb. 10 in the 10500 block of Whispering Hills Lane; and March 4 in the 3700 block of Carmel View Road.
Police ask anyone with information about the case to
contact Crime Stoppers.
