Anyone who can identify the man in the sketch or has information about the cases is asked to contact the Cleveland Division of Police Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit at 216-623-5630.

CLEVELAND - Cleveland police have released a sketch of a man they believe is behind two separate but similar rapes at knifepoint on the city’s west side.

The sketch shows man who police described as being in his 20s, 5-feet 8-inches tall, 140 pounds with a medium build, brown hair and high fade haircut. The man has multiple tattoos and earrings in both ears, with a square post earring on his right side.

According to police, the first rape happened Monday, Oct. 17 at about 10 p.m. near W. 65th and Pear Avenue. The victim was a 19-year-old girl from Cleveland Heights.

The teen told police that she was walking in the area when a dark-colored car with a loud exhaust pulled up near her and the driver said, “Hey you’re cute. Do you have a boyfriend?”

She told the driver yes, according to the report, and continued walking. The driver then met up with her near the intersection of W. 58th and Lorain. She got into the car to get a ride to a relative’s house at W. 17th and Denison.

Instead of taking her there, she told the police the driver pulled a large knife on her and told her “I won’t kill you as long as you do what I say.” Police said the driver then drove into an unknown area, backed the car up to a fence near train tracks and sexually assaulted the teen.

The driver then dropped the victim off near W. 44th and Lorain.

The second rape occurred four days later (Friday, Oct. 21) at about 10 p.m. near W. 25 and Althen Avenue. According to the police report, the 42-year-old victim from Cleveland told police a car pulled up to her as she was walking to the Meyers bus stop and the driver asked if she needed a ride.

The woman got into the car and told the driver she needed to go to the Rapid station at Lorain and Gehrige, the report stated. She immediately noticed the driver was going the wrong direction and said something about it, but the driver insisted he was taking her a faster way.

The woman told police the driver then turned down a dark road and backed up to a building. The driver then pulled a knife and said, “You already know what this is and if you try to run, I will catch you and kill you.” He then sexually assaulted the woman.

Several times during the ordeal, the driver referred to the victim as “mommy,” the report stated.

The driver then dropped the woman off at the intersection of Wiley and Columbus.

Anyone who can identify the man in the sketch or has information about the cases is asked to contact the Cleveland Division of Police Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit at 216-623-5630.