A judge on Sept. 3 ordered an Illinois man to stand trial for crimes committed by the so-called “A.M. Rapist,” a sexual predator who assaulted three women in Ocean Beach, one in Mission Beach and a fifth woman in the College area in 2000 and 2001. DNA and fingerprint evidence linked him to the crimes, according to court testimony. Stephen Darien Richardson, 33, was stationed in San Diego while serving in the Navy during those years and also lived in Pacific Beach, said San Diego police Det. Phillip Worts during last week’s preliminary hearing. Worts told San Diego Superior Court Judge Charles Gill he searched Richardson’s credit history and other records to prove Richardson lived in the area then. Gill ordered Richardson to stand trial on 23 counts, including multiple rapes, five burglaries and two felony assault charges. Richardson, who previously pleaded not guilty is expected to undergo trial beginning Oct. 8. None of the victims testified during the preliminary hearing but Deputy District Attorney Betsy McClutchey and police officers quoted from their reports what the victims told them at the time. Also testifying were nurses who treated the victims at hospitals. Rape kits were used to preserve evidence. All of the women were in their 20s at the time. The rapist entered their homes through unlocked windows and doors early in the morning, leading to the “A.M. Rapist” nickname. “The victims were all very traumatized by what happened,” said McClutchey. Fingerprints left on a window screen were preserved and eventually linked to Richardson, who was living in Arlington Heights, Ill. at the time of his Aug. 14 arrest. Richardson was arrested on an unrelated charge. A DNA profile of the “A.M. Rapist” in San Diego also matched one sexual assault in Illinois, according to prosecutors. Richardson’s attorney agreed in court to stipulate to experts’ opinions that the fingerprints and DNA matched Richardson, but only for the preliminary hearing. During the trial, experts will be expected to testify about DNA matches and the science behind it. Richardson was arrested by San Diego police detectives from the sex-crimes unit. Worts testified he obtained another DNA swab of Richardson’s mouth after his arrest. McClutchey attributed Richardson’s arrest to “a lot of good police work.” Richardson is faces a maximum term of 225 years to life in prison if convicted on all counts. The first rape occurred June 9, 2000 in a home on Santa Cruz Avenue in Ocean Beach. The last case happened Feb. 18, 2001 in a residence near the ocean in Mission Beach, according to court records. Richardson remains in custody on $1 million bail.