Detroit police and members of the public are searching hundreds of vacant houses in a bid to find any additional victims of a suspected serial killer in the city.

Home inspections were launched in response to the bodies of three women being found separately in abandoned properties across the city’s east side since March.

Only one death has so far been ruled a homicide, but police chiefs said similarities between the victims had led them to declare a potential serial killer and rapist may be responsible.

Officials have called for the public’s help in identifying the third woman, whose body was found partially decomposed. She is described as an African American woman in her 50s, about 5ft tall and 100lbs (45kg).

Police declared DeAngelo Martin, 34, a homeless man known to live in the east side of the city, as a person of interest in the case but did not say why.

In pictures: Detroit in decline Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Detroit in decline In pictures: Detroit in decline detroit-9.jpg March 2013: A fire hydrant is seen with an "Out of Service" sign on a blighted street on the east side of Detroit, Michigan Reuters In pictures: Detroit in decline Detroit-1.jpg April 2011: Broken windows are seen inside the abandoned and decaying manufacturing plant of Packard Motor Car in Detroit, Michigan Reuters In pictures: Detroit in decline 26.get.jpg Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder addresses Detroit’s bankruptcy filing at a news conference Getty Images In pictures: Detroit in decline detroit-2.jpg June 2005: Houses along Detroit streets have become derelict abandoned in what was once a thriving middle class area Getty Images In pictures: Detroit in decline detroit-5.jpg November 2008: A person walks past the remains of the Packard Motor Car Company, which ceased production in the late 1950s in Detroit Getty Images In pictures: Detroit in decline detroit-4.jpg February 2013: The General Motors (GM) world headquarters is seen, nearby is a a dilapidated house Getty Images In pictures: Detroit in decline Detroit-11.jpg April 2012: A child's toy is seen in a pile of concrete blocks inside the abandoned and decaying Packard Motor Car Manufacturing Plant in Detroit Reuters In pictures: Detroit in decline Detroit-10.jpg December 2011: A burnt out abandoned apartment building is seen in Detroit, Michigan Reuters In pictures: Detroit in decline detroit-8.jpg July 2013: A banner on a building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Detroit today filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, making it the largest city to file for bankruptcy in U.S. history Getty Images In pictures: Detroit in decline detroit-7.jpg July 2013: A banner on a building in downtown Detroit Getty Images

On Friday a person of interest was taken into custody but their identity has not been confirmed.

Police Chief James Craig believes the women could have been lured into blighted houses, raped and killed. He suspects two worked in the sex trade and issued a warning to anyone working in abandoned houses.

“It appears we may have a serial killer,” Chief Craig said.

While there is no suspicion of further victims, the delay of days, or weeks in discovering the previous bodies has led to a precautionary search of 1,000 remaining vacant properties on the east side.

Mayor Mike Duggan said teams of 40 police officers would be leading searches over the next two to three weeks, and after the properties were cleared they would be boarded up before being renovated or demolished.

The chief said the third victim was a 55-year-old woman whose name he declined to release because her family had not yet been notified. The other women have been identified as Nancy Harrison, 52, and Trevesene Ellis, 53.

“We have been getting regular leads, tips” about the deaths this week, Chief Craig said. “We’re following up on each and every one ... We’re going to find this violent predatory criminal.”

Abandoned houses have marred Detroit for years. The city has demolished about 18,000 properties since 2014 and has another 18,000 houses to go, Mr Duggan said.