Witnesses describe him as a stocky black man, around 200 pounds, who wears dark clothes, a mask and gloves. He mostly targets teenage girls in the early-morning hours and carries a handgun.

''We're trying to express how important it is to keep your home secure,'' said Miami-Dade police Maj. Elizabeth Buchholz, the head of the department's sexual battery unit.

Investigators think the man may be behind at least 13 cases of intruder sexual assaults or break-ins in North Miami-Dade and South Broward counties since January.

Miami-Dade police have been issuing news releases about a repeat intruder in Miami Gardens since at least May. In the sensitive world of investigations, detectives say they've tried to walk delicately between causing panic and feeding the stalker's ego.

In the past week, investigators with Miami-Dade, North Miami and the Broward Sheriff's Office have started meeting to share information on their intruder cases.

Uniformed officers have been alerted. Fliers have been passed out. Miami-Dade police say they're investing ''a great deal of resources'' in an effort to catch the stalker.

Last week, detectives think, he was the intruder who used lawn furniture to climb through a window of a North Miami home and sexually assault a 14-year-old girl.

In Miami-Dade, sexual-battery detectives have identified seven cases in Miami Gardens and three others elsewhere in the northern part of the county. They also are examining two other cases that may be related.

On Friday, officials again stressed safety measures: Keep doors and windows locked; know your surroundings, and check the Web for a list of sexual predators in the neighborhood.

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