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Slasher Suspect Claims to be Vampire

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A man who allegedly slashed the throats of at least four homeless people, killing one, has told police he is a 2,000-year-old vampire who thrives on drinking blood. Joshua Rudiger, 21, was in custody Wednesday on charges of slashing the throat of a homeless man in San Francisco's Chinatown. The victim, who survived the attack, pointed Rudiger out to police, who arrested him and found a bloody knife stuck in his belt. Police sources told reporters that Rudiger claimedto be a vampire and in at least three cases had apparently used his victims' blood to scrawl the Chinese character for "death" on the pavement near the scenes of the attacks.

"He talked for a long time and said a lot of weird things," one police source told the San Francisco Examiner, noting that none of the slashing victims had reported that their attacker attempted to drink their blood. "We'll never know if he really drank the victims' blood, but we're sure he's the guy who slashed their throats." Prosecutors have charged Rudiger with one murder -- that of 48-year-old Shirley Dillahunty, who was found with her throat slit on Oct. 29. More charges of attempted murder are expected to be lodged later in the week, and Rudiger is scheduled to undergo a full psychiatric evaluation.

San Francisco Police Chief Fred Lau said the case, which had sent shivers through the city's large homeless population, could grow stranger as police continue their investigation. "It's unique," Lau said. "I'm sure as we gather more facts we'll probably come up with a lot of information that is probably going to reveal a lot of things about the suspect."

Submitted by: DrkBloved