CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES

Police have arrested a taxi driver suspected of terrorizing several homeless women on skid row by luring them into his cab and raping them, Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton said Thursday.

Eric Clay, 37, of Hollywood was arrested about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday near 7th Street and Central Avenue after a woman flagged down police and told them she saw a man in a taxi who strongly resembled a composite sketch of the suspect that police had circulated, Bratton said.

Clay is suspected of raping at least five women, police said.

Lt. Felicia Hall said the women were picked up near Central Avenue, Main Street and 6th and 8th streets between Aug. 22 and Dec. 22. Once inside the cab, they were taken to another location, where they were assaulted. When the victims fled from the cab, the assailant drove away, Hall said.

Police said Clay drove a cab with “a legally marked seal and with a phone number and taxi light displayed,” but they did not release the name of the cab company.

-- Richard Winton