Houston police taken into custody a 62-year-old Atascocita man after he was linked to four rapes spanning decades.
Phillip Cerf was arrested on Tuesday morning and charged with four charges of aggravated sexual assault.
Police began investigating in June 1997 after a now-deceased woman reported that a man, later identified as Cerf, offered her a ride while she was out walking in Acres Homes.
The victim told authorities that Cerf drove her to a ballpark in Independence Heights and raped her six times at gunpoint before beating her in the back of the head with the weapon.
Police have linked Cerf to another rape in April 2009.
According to court documents, the victim reported to police that Cerf and a lady named Cookie lured her into a car with narcotics.
According to court documents, the victim stated that after about 20 minutes of driving, the other woman got out and Cerf drove her to an Acres Homes graveyard.
He is accused of drawing a revolver on the victim before raping and choking her.
In June 2013, investigators produced a drawing of Cerf in connection with another rape.
The victim stated that she was wandering in north Houston when she accepted a ride from Cerf, mistaking him for someone she knew.
According to police, he drove the woman to a vacant lot, held a knife to her neck, and raped her. Following the attack, he allegedly ordered her out of the car and drove away.
Police claim another woman was raped in north Houston in July 2016 after accepting a ride from Cerf.
She informed officers that Cerf showed her a revolver in his waistband before raping her and ordering her to leave the car.
According to court documents, investigators linked all four rapes together in July 2025 and identified Cerf as a suspect in February of this year.
In April, undercover cops conducted surveillance on him at his Atascocita condominium and obtained his DNA for testing.
After an officer witnessed him spit on the ground, officers swabbed his saliva, which matched DNA from all four victims, according to charge documents.
During an interview with investigators on Tuesday, Cerf denied raping the victims. He also stated that he has never carried a gun or offered rides.
His bond amount was set at $2 million.
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