The area near a rape that happened last summer is busier now that fall classes have started at the University of Michigan. Many women who were walking alone in the South State and Madison area overnight Thursday said that seeing more people on the street makes them feel safer.

Chris Asadian | For AnnArbor.com

It's 10 p.m. Thursday in the 700 block of South State Street in Ann Arbor and hundreds of University of Michigan students are walking to the bars or parties. Most are traveling in groups.

But occasionally, a woman walks alone along the same block where a woman was pulled into an alley and raped July 18 and another woman was fondled 8 days later.

The women were victimized in two of six attacks in July. Police say one attacker may have been responsible and he targeted women walking alone.

Because the rapist is still at large, Ann Arbor police and University of Michigan officials have launched efforts to warn students about the attacks and urge them to use caution when they walk near campus.

Yet last Thursday night, as the new semester approached, many women who passed through the area where the attacks took place still said they felt safe enough to walk by themselves because of the large number of people outside as thousands of U-M students returned to school.

Between 10 p.m. Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday - the 4-hour time frame the rapist has struck - an AnnArbor.com reporter counted 57 women walking alone in the 700 block of South State Street. Nineteen were talking on cell phones or appeared to be texting, which police warned can leave people more vulnerable.

Vanessa Jargenian, 25, a graduate student at U-M, was walking alone at 10:05 p.m., but considered herself prepared: She clutched a set of keys in one hand and canister of pepper spray in the other as a precaution, she said.

During that time of night, she said, she wasn't particularly worried.

“Do you see how many people are out?” Jargenian said.

More than 3,600 people passed through the area during the 4-hour stretch.

Ann Arbor police spokeswoman Lt. Renee Bush said she understands people may feel more comfortable when they see others on the streets. Still, she urged people not to walk alone.

"We really want to encourage people to walk with a trusted friend or be with a group of people they know," she said. "It's always safer."

Sarah Baker, 19, a sophomore at U-M, who was walking by herself at 1:30 a.m., said she typically uses the buddy system. But she wasn't too concerned for her safety, suspecting the attacker may have left the area because no attacks have been reported since late July.

“I think I’ll be fine,” she said. “I think I’m pretty tough. I can handle myself.”

A police wanted poster released today shows 2 possible suspects in recent sexual attacks on women in Ann Arbor.

Sarah Elise, 20, a junior at U-M, who was walking alone at 10:30 p.m., read the crime alerts about the attacks that were emailed to students during the summer.

However, she said she was under the impression that the attacks occurred later at night.

Yet in the block where she was walking, an 18-year-old Ann Arbor woman was pulled into an alley about 12:40 a.m. July 18 and raped. Eight days later, in the same block, a 21-year-old University of Michigan student retrieved something from her car about 11:30 p.m. and was grabbed from behind and fondled by a man, before breaking free.

Elise said the attacks concerned her, but added that crime happens everywhere.

“We’ve been getting a lot of alerts about rapes, but a lot of reports have said they’re not sure whether it’s the same person,” she said. “You just have to watch out for yourself. You just have to be smart about it.”

Alyssa Coligado, 21, a senior at U-M, who stopped to talk to a reporter at about 10:45 p.m., spent less time than usual in Ann Arbor during the summer because of the attacks, she said. She is taking precautions.

"I'm very aware," she said. "I won't walk by myself past midnight."

Ellen Vial, 18, a sophomore at U-M, who was walking alone about 11:15 p.m., said she is always vigilant.

“ I intended on walking with other people, but I suppose I haven’t done that so far,” she said. “If I was a freshman I would be worried, but since I’m not, I’m a little more at ease. I know where I’m going.”

To date, Ann Arbor police have received more than 600 tips in the investigation, but have made no arrests. Investigators have said one or two men are believed to be responsible.

Last month, there were two other incidents in the downtown area in which women walking alone were targeted, but the cases are not believed to be related to the other 6 attacks.

About 10:30 p.m. Aug. 15, a 25-year-old Belleville woman was robbed after a man approached her in the 500 block of East Washington Street. Three days later, at about 1:50 a.m., a man grabbed a 21-year-old University of Michigan student's arm as she was walking in the 500 block of Thompson Street, but she struggled with him and broke free.

In addition to not walking alone, Bush said people should avoid talking on cell phones or texting unless it's an emergency.

"Obviously, we want people to have their eyes up and be aware of their surroundings," she said.

Anyone with information on the attacks can call the Ann Arbor Police Department’s tip line at (734) 794-6939 or Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) SPEAK UP.

If you're looking for more information from U-M on the attacks, click here to view a website the university launched in July.

This map shows the locations of the 6 attacks. Place your mouse over any location to see more information on each incident.

Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.