A Leesburg man who detectives say is a serial rapist and connected to at least five cases was arrested Saturday afternoon, deputies said.

Lake County Sheriff's Office detectives arrested 46-year-old Anthony Maurice Foster, of Leesburg, and are now saying he will be charged in four other cases.

Detectives said Foster burglarized a woman's home on July 20, 2014. At the time of the incident, the victim, who is in her 70s, reported to deputies that she was awakened by an unknown male around 11:30 p.m. The suspect then sexually battered her by forcing her to perform sex acts on him, detectives said.

Since the incident, deputies have used profilers, conducted surveillance details, canvassed neighborhoods and conducted saturation patrols in an effort to develop information on the suspect.

Neighbors tells News 13 that detectives canvassed area following the attack, putting up reward signs asking for information. The suspected serial rapist lived right across the street all along.

“This is a very nice, quiet neighborhood,” Tirfonia Bradley said. “To take advantage of somebody that’s old and just living their life, feeling free, safe and secure in their neighborhood and to take advantage of them – you’re dead wrong.”

What’s worse is that the victim’s attacker lived within walking distance.

“I think it’s kinda crazy knowing that he lived right down the road,” added Brody Tillery.

Lt. John Herrell, of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, said Saturday that a grocery store employee in the area where Foster lives recently told the Sheriff's Office that Foster should be looked at due to some bizarre behavior. Detectives met with Foster, who lives on the 6900 block of Fern Circle, in Leesburg, and asked him to provide a DNA sample. Foster refused.

Detectives then collected DNA samples from family members and were able to use those samples to positively match Foster to the DNA collected from the July 20 incident.

As a result of the DNA tests, detectives said Foster is also a match in four other similar cases in the Leesburg Police Department's jurisdiction dating back to 2006. The Leesburg Police Department expects to add charges on these cases Monday and will likely clear several other similar cases in its jurisdiction.

Detectives say it is possible that there could be other victims of similar crimes who have not come forward. Anyone who has had a similar experience, or would like to provide information regarding Foster, is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 352-343-2101.

"He was a very legitimate threat to the women in our community," Herrell said

Foster, who was never arrested before Saturday, was taken into custody and transported to the Lake County Jail.

A Lake County judge set Foster's bond at $260,000 Sunday afternoon. Foster remains in jail.