Fairmount Park Rape: Suspect in recent knife-attacks charged with murder, rape in infamous cold case

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police say a man recently arrested in a series of knife attacks on a Philadelphia trail is believed to be behind one of the city's most infamous cold cases.

Philadelphia city officials spoke Tuesday afternoon, providing an update to the case, in what they believe is a connection with the cyclist arrested after allegedly slashing several people on Pennypack Trail and the Fairmount Park rapist from 20 years ago.

Elias Diaz, 46, was charged with the 2003 murder and rape of 30-year-old Rebecca Park in Fairmount Park by the District Attorney's Office on Wednesday.

His list of official charges include Murder, Rape, IDSI, Aggravated Indecent Assault, Possession of an Instrument of Crime, Indecent Assault, Abuse of Corpse, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Tampering With Evidence. He is being held without bail.

Diaz was initially arrested Sunday in connection to three attacks by a knife-wielding cyclist on Pennypack Trail in Northeast Philadelphia last month.

Two of the victims were slashed by a cyclist with a machete, according to police, and a third was able to escape unharmed after the suspect became verbally abusive.

Police sources tell FOX 29 they have linked Elias Diaz to a decades-old series of rapes in Fairmount Park.

Law enforcement sources tell FOX 29's Steve Keeley that Diaz is believed to be the "Fairmount Park Rapist," whose murderous rampage has left the city on edge since 2003.

"It's him," Keeley quotes a source saying in a post on X. "We are just waiting for DNA results to come back."

"This case goes back to 2003," Philadelphia District Attorney said. "And, since ’03, this suspect has been riding a bike and he’s been outrunning justice ever since then. Science outran this guy’s bicycle. Science got him. And that is a beautiful thing."

Investigators say in April 2003 a 21-year-old woman was raped at knife-point while jogging on Kelly and Fountain Green drives. 

Two months later, the same suspect is accused of raping and strangling 30-year-old med student, Rebecca Park, on the west side of the park. Her body was found four days later, according to police. 

A 37-year-old woman was attacked at knife-point while jogging on West River Drive in October of 2003, but police say she managed to escape.  

The victims described their attacker to police as a Hispanic man approximately 5-foot-8, with black hair, a thin mustache, or jawline beard and bushy eyebrows. In two cases, police say he was wearing an earring in his left ear and fled on a purple metallic 10-speed bike. 

Police previously shared DNA composite sketches of the Fairmount Park Rapist.

Following a nearly four-year hiatus, police say the same man is believed to have raped a woman near Frankford and Solly avenues in August of 2007. 

DNA taken from the three victims linked them to the same suspect, according to police. Investigators have since shared DNA composite sketches of what the suspect could look like over the years.

Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore remarked, "These cases were all matched together and we knew we had a pattern of DNA and we knew we had the same offender."

Police say they are also investigating other rape cases that may be tied to Diaz.