Four neighbors helped chase down a man suspected of breaking into several homes on the 1600 block of Irving Street NW, cornering the women who lived there, demanding money from them, and sexually assaulting them. The neighbors were able to direct police to the suspect and help officers make an arrest.

The man, 58-year-old Lester Wilkerson of Northwest, was charged with two counts of first degree sexual abuse, three counts of burglary, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.

The string of break-ins began on May 21, when a man forced entry into a building on Irving Street from an upper floor window and entered a woman’s bedroom, according to a police report. The man told the woman he had a gun and threatened to kill her if she didn’t comply with his orders; he then demanded money from her, forced her to remove her clothing, and sexually assaulted her. The man also reportedly threatened and demanded money from another person in the building, whom the Washington Post reports was the building owner.

Two nights later, on May 23, police believe the same man broke into another building on the same block through back window, entered a woman’s bedroom, and again demanded money, forced the woman to undress, and sexually assaulted her, according to the police report.

On Monday around 2:30 p.m., a man smashed the back window of a home, again on the same block, and unlocked the back door through the broken window, according to a police report. A woman and her adult daughter arrived to the home without realizing anyone had broken in, reports the Post. The woman was sitting on her couch when she saw a man appear, according to the outlet. The man had his hand under his shirt as though he had a gun, and he demanded money. The woman and her daughter ran into the street screaming.

A neighbor heard the screams, saw the suspect, and gave chase, according to the Post. The suspect threw a brick at the neighbor, but the neighbor was uninjured, per the police report. The neighbor was able to alert police to the location of the suspect and identify the subject once they apprehended him, the report says. Three other neighbors also joined in the chase.

Police credited neighbors’ security footage with helping them to identify the suspect as well. They said he was wearing the same shirt and red shoes seen on camera in the previous attacks, according to the Post.

Wilkerson reportedly has a history of arrests for burglary and sexual assault dating back to 1981, the Post reports. He was released from prison just two months ago after serving more than a decade for breaking into an apartment across the street from the buildings he’s currently accused of breaking into.

In an emailed statement, a man named Matthew Shannon-Browne, who said he was the neighbor who chased down the suspect, says that he did it because “the District is my home. I was raised in Mt. Pleasant and see it as an extension of my family … I appreciate all of the Thank you’s, but I don’t deserve them. I just did what I would for any of my family.”