james diggs. the challenge today was how to find him. >> the victims between 16 and 23 year old. >> reporter: police focused on cottage city maryland. they charged james william diggs with first-degree rape. late this often there was a break in the case. >> within the last hour our funl tif squad captured diggs in waldorf. he was arrested without incident and is currently at headquarters being interviewed. >> reporter: two nights

james william diggs is now charged with first-degree rape. he's charged with the most recent attack which just happened about two days ago on 38th 1/2 cottage city. diggs is also a person of interest in three other rapes all want two-mile radius dating back to september. since that initial atashgs police have released a sketch and surveillance video and canvassed that community. a news conference will be getting under way any minute now. chris gordon is there. and we'll send out updates on our nbc washington app and nbcwashington.com as we get them. >>> we are soaking up a little sunshine after we what we all hope is the last blast of winter. >> but in many places it's the street or the sidewalk it is still tough to really get around out there. we'll get the latest on the cold temperatures from overnight and this morning from our storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson in just a bit. >>> first news4's kristin wright is out in the thick of it this afternoon. >> reporter: it's the day after a big storm and that means you never know what you

city brentwood area police were able to develop a suspect and this is that man. 48-year-old james william diggs. police had his name last night. they had a warrant. they looked for him through the night and through the day today and at 2:30 this afternoon, they were able to make an arrest. and they are relieved because looking at the pattern of the crimes, police feared there could become an escalation. >> look at the first two, they were september 8th and september 20th. there's considerable time in between. the third one occurred on february 25th and now this one. so you know, yes, we are very pleased that we managed to get him off the streets. >> diggs was arrested in waldorf today without incident. he is undergoing questioning at this point in time. he does have a criminal history. served a good deal of time we're told, after a robbery conviction in the 1980s. brad bell, abc 7 news. >> d.c.'s crime lab is under scrutiny after some d.n.a. results were found to contain errors. prosecutors have been sending d.n.a. evidence to outside labs since january 12th while a review is conducted. the u.s

. >>> right now police interrogating 48-year-old james william diggs of bladensburg in connection with the rain of a young woman just two days ago. they're -- rape of a young woman just two days ago. they're telling us he could be responsible for several other attacks in the neighborhood. the man faces several charges including first degree rape. >>> guns and mental health are likely to get another examination in maryland after the arrest this week of an accused serial shooter. >> reporter: i'm scott broom in anne arundel mills where accused serial shooter hun young was able to assemble an arsenal of weapons legally despite telling police he was hearing voices telling him to shoot at 1 victim and yet he cleared maryland's strict background check to own this arsenal of 10 weapons completely legally investigators say, weapons including this regulated handgun which fires the same ammunition as the .223 bushmaster rifle used by the d.c. snipers in 2002. in an exclusive interview with young's mother she told wusa9 there were no signs of problems with her son. >> he's my good son. >> there w

police tell us that suspect is 48-year-old james william diggs of bladensburg. he was arrested in waldorf today. two days ago this past wednesday police tell us diggs raped a young woman by knifepoint they're the 3800 block of 38th avenue in cottage city. they think he's also responsible for the sexual assault february 25th in bladensburg. he also could be connected to two more attacks over there in the bladensburg and cheverly areas. police tell us he knew what he was doing and that these attacks took place between 6:45 and 8:45 p.m. and all included young victims in their early 20s to as young as what a deputy chief told us was 16 years old. >> we are very pleased that we managed to get him off the streets. >> reporter: diggs is facing a first degree rape charge and other charges that include assault, robbery and a weapons charge all in regards to the march 4th rape. he could face even more charges as they continue to connect him to other attacks. here in prince george's county stephanie ramirez, wusa9 news. >> stephanie is going to be on this story throughout

in it says 48-year-old james williams diggs used a weapon, pushed his victim to the ground, ripped off her pants and forced her to have sex against her will. since 5:00 today he's been charged with a second sexual assault in addition to this rape and police in prince george's county believe he may be connected to at least two others. as soon as he saw cameras, 48- year-old james william digs went over to hide his face. the 48-year-old suspect now connected to one rape and sexual assault in prince george's county. police say the last attack happened just two days ago on march 4th in cottage city in the 3800 block of 38th avenue is where officers say diggs raped a 23-year-old woman by knifepoint at night and in the area just outside of ariel perry's aunt's house. >> it's very discouraging. it's actually scary. >> reporter: right now police are not detailing how they are connecting diggs to the different sexual assaults, but they do credit the police work of the different municipalities working together to capture him. he was arrested today in waldorf. he faces several charges including f

james diggs. the challenge today was how to find him. >> the victims between 16 and 23 year old. >> reporter: police focused on cottage city maryland. they charged james william diggs with first-degree rape. late this often there was a break in the case. >> within the last hour our funl tif squad captured diggs in waldorf. he was arrested without incident and is currently at headquarters being interviewed. >> reporter: two nights ago a woman was groobed from from behind a knife put to her throat in a secluded area. police are tying this most recent attack to one that happened the night of february 25th on 54th street. they hope to link him to two more attacks last fall. >> he is charged with the rape of last thursday and the rape that occurred on february 25th. in the previous two he is a strong person of interest. >> reporter: on october 20th a victim was able to give police a description of the suspect who attacked her in the 5800 block of annapolis road in cheverly. this vicious series of assaults began on september 8th with the rape of a woman walking on a wooded trail in the 5100 block of quincy street in bladensburg. diggs has a criminal record stretchi

what police were able to identify a suspect in that case, the man you mentioned there, james william diggs. today, they were getting ready to put out his photograph and put out his name. the squad was able to make an arrest just 1 1/2 hours ago. the arrest took place in waldorf. we can show you the man's picture, 49 years old. he has a criminal history and spent a good deal of time in prison but no priors for sexual assault. all of these rapes took place within a short distance of each other in the bladensburg area. we can show you a map. there was one in september. there was one in october. and then last week on the 25th right in the heart of bladensburg and then the most recent one, down cottage city brentwood area a little bit south of there, police really stepped up their efforts and the deputy chief a little while ago told us they are relieved that they got this guy off the streets. >> this individual obviously had been preying on young women, the ages of the victims between 16 and 23 years old. he you know followed -- we believe he followed one or two of them on occasion. he knew wha

the suspect is 48-year-old james williams digs of bladensburg arrested in waldorf today. this past wednesday police say diggs -- diggs of bladensburg arrested in waldorf today. this past wednesday police say diggs raped a young woman and police also think he's responsible for the sexual assault on february 25th in bladensburg and he could be connected to two more attacks in the cheverly and bladensburg areas. diggs was not a known predator, but police tell us he knew what he was doing, that these attacks took place between 6:45 and 8:45 at night and the victims were all young women in their early 20s to as young as when the deputy chief told us was 16 years old. >> we are very pleased that we managed to get him off the streets and that's due to the fine work of the men and women in the prince george's county police department and our partnerships with our municipal partners, but i don't want to speck late as to what might have happened if -- speculate as to what might have happened if we didn't. i'm just glad that we did. >> reporter: diggs faces a first degree rape charge, assault, robbery and weapons charg