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Serial killer chats up victims, police sayFear gripping Phoenix evokes 2002 D.C. sniper attacks
 Many of the attacks occurred near Baseline Road, including one near this intersection, police say. 
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Or, visit Popular Alerts for suggestions. PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- A suspected serial killer striking in the Phoenix area often contacts victims just before he attacks, a police spokesman said Wednesday. While he would not discuss specifics, Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill said the so-called Baseline Killer sometimes strikes up a brief conversation before striking. That means that in many of the killings and sexual assaults attributed to the killer, there has been an opportunity for the victims to get away. The victims likely had a gut feeling that something was not right, but shrugged it off as paranoia, Hill said. "People do get intuitive feelings, and they do need to follow those feelings," Hill said. The Baseline Killer, who is named after the south Phoenix street where his first crimes were committed, is believed to have committed six killings, 11 sexual assaults and a series of robberies. Another suspected serial killer operating in the Phoenix area, known as the Serial Shooter, targets victims by themselves and shoots from inside a vehicle when no one is looking, Hill said. The Serial Shooter is linked to five killings and 16 non-fatal shootings. The violence has left Phoenix residents fearful. People aren't going out alone at night anymore. Co-workers are walking to their cars in pairs in the evenings. Parents aren't letting their children out of their sight. The tension evokes the terror of the 2002 Washington-area sniper shootings because of the randomness of the crimes and the fact the victims were struck down while going about their daily routines. People have been shot from behind while biking; one victim was vacuuming her car at a carwash, another was waiting for a bus. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 
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