A man suspected in a series of rapes and kidnappings of prostitutes in Santa Ana apparently killed himself, with police finding his body in a Long Beach apartment, authorities said Thursday.

Authorities said 42-year-old Joseph Raymond Stanton posed as a police officer in each of three incidents. Stanton lured the women into his car, they said, and then would go to a secluded area where he raped two of them and tried to rape a third who escaped, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department.

Two of the attacks happened in January and another in August.

On June 2, Santa Ana police released a composite sketch of the suspect – whose identity was unknown – and a photo of the type of car he drove to try to identify him.

Bertagna said detectives received several tips, one of them leading to Stanton.

Stanton was arrested June 29 on suspicion of the three kidnappings, two rapes and attempted rape.

Despite being held on $1 million bail, he was able to post bond and was released the next day. He was ordered to attend court at a later date.

He was found by family members at his apartment July 1 and they called authorities, said Nancy Pratt, a spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department.

Suicide notes were found with his body, and acquaintances said Stanton had contemplated killing himself.

Details about how he died were not immediately available, Pratt said.

Stanton’s DNA matched that in at least two of the rape kits, investigators learned this week, after his death.

“It confirms for us that we have the serial rapist off the street,” Bertagna said. “And now we have a DNA sample to compare if there are other victims out there. Hopefully, we can solve cases for other people, too, and get them closure.”

Anyone with more information about the crime or suspect is asked to call Santa Ana Cpl. Javier Aceves at 714-245-8542.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7865 or afausto@ocregister.com