"East Coast Rapist" suspect claims 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' personality

(CBS/WTVR) NEW HAVEN - Aaron Thomas, the man suspected of being the "East Coast Rapist," claimed that he had a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality when it came to women," a prosecutor said Monday.

Prosecutor David Strollo quoted Thomas at the suspected serial rapist's first court appearance in New Haven, Conn., where Thomas was arraigned on charges of first-degree sexual assault, first-degree burglary and risk of injury to a minor, reported CBS affiliate WTVR.

Thomas, 39, is a suspect in a dozen sexual assaults or attempted sexual assaults in Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island and Virginia from 1997 to 2009. Authorities said he was arrested Friday after DNA taken from a cigarette he tossed the day before matched that of the man policed referred to as the "East Coast Rapist."

When Thomas was apprehended, he asked, "What took you so long to get me?," the prosecutor said, reported WTVR.

In the courtroom, the 39-year-old wore dark glasses and a black baseball cap to avoid identification by victims in cases that do not involve DNA, as advised by his defense lawyer.

The judge set Thomas' bail at $1.5 million in cash and ordered him to receive psychiatric attention after he attempted to hang himself with pieces of his clothing two days before his hearing. Thomas was rushed to Yale-New Haven hospital, but suffered no serious injuries.

The judge ordered Thomas to appear on March 22 in a nearby courthouse reserved for only the most serious cases.

Click here for complete coverage of the "East Coast Rapist" on Crimesider.