Miami ? A man was arrested in a string of rapes in this city’s Little Havana neighborhood, police chief John Timoney said Saturday.

Reynaldo Elias Rapalo, 32, a Honduran citizen whose visa had expired, was arrested Friday night and his DNA sample matched forensic evidence taken from the rape scenes, Timoney said. Rapalo’s fingerprints also matched and an eyewitness identified him as the rapist, Timoney said.

Detectives patrolling the streets of Little Havana saw a car that matched the description of the rapist’s vehicle, Timoney said.

“He was driving slowly down the block and kind of checking out the alleyways,” Timoney said. The driver ran two stop signs before police pulled him over and arrested him.

“It’s very hard to articulate a cop’s gut, but when their eyes met and he averted them, he knew there was something wrong here,” Timoney said.

Rapalo volunteered to give a saliva sample for the DNA test, Timoney said. He declined to say whether Rapalo had confessed, saying police were reluctant to give out further details because the investigation was continuing.

Charges were pending and Rapalo was not expected to make his first court appearance before today. Miami-Dade County State Atty. Katherine Fernandez Rundle said Rapalo would face up to life in prison if convicted of the rapes.

Rapalo did not have an attorney, said Sgt. William Golding of the sex crimes unit.

DNA evidence linked seven rapes since September 2002, including three young girls who were attacked in the span of four weeks in May and June. Victims ranged in age from 11 to 79. DNA samples also matched the attacker to an attempted sexual assault that took place Sept. 6.

Juan Rodriguez, who saved his 24-year-old sister from that attack, said his family was relieved.

“They’ve been afraid, but now … they’re happy,” Rodriguez said. “When they heard the news, they jumped.”

Police had offered a $25,000 reward for the serial rapist’s capture.

More than 120 men, mostly Hispanic, were stopped by Miami police officers and asked to volunteer DNA samples to help in the investigation, a tactic that was denounced by civil rights activists. Billboards with an artist’s rendering of the serial rape suspect were posted throughout the city.