WAILUKU, Maui — The demand for personal alarms, pepper spray and other protection gadgets is spiking here as senior residents respond to four attacks on older women since May 30.

"Today is one of the biggest selling days for pepper spray because of what happened," said Helaman Aiwohi of Uncle Jessie's, a military surplus and martial arts store in Wailuku.

Aiwohi said one woman bought a starter pistol, intending to use it to help secure her home. "It's been busy around here," he said.

Maui police yesterday released a computer-generated sketch of a man who is being sought in connection with the attempted sexual assault of a 72-year-old Kahului woman Tuesday. Although the suspect has been linked to only the Tuesday attack, police have not ruled out that he might be involved in the three other attacks.

Maui police said the suspect is 6 feet to 6 feet 3, clean-shaven, with a slim build and a thin face. He may be driving a white or light-colored van, according to Sgt. Jamie Becraft, who said a van was seen leaving the scene after Tuesday's attempted assault.

In Tuesday's attempted assault, the woman was walking along Holua Drive shortly after 5 a.m. when she noticed a jogger coming her way. Suddenly, she felt a hand over her mouth as the man tried to drag her to a dark roadside area, police said. She scared off the attacker by sounding an egg-sized electric alarm she was carrying. The attacker fled north on Holua Drive, police said. The woman did not need medical attention.

The victims in the previous attacks were ages 87, 78 and 82.

The first attack occurred at 3 a.m. May 30, when an 87-year-old woman was raped in the bedroom of her Kahului home. The intruder broke a window to enter the house and stole a purse.

On June 14, a 78-year-old resident of the Hale Mahaolu senior residential community in Kahului was walking on Wakea Avenue around 5:30 a.m. when she was forced into bushes and assaulted.

Then on Aug. 17, an 82-year-old Kihei woman was raped by a man who entered her home through an unlocked window.

Three Radio Shack stores in Maui stores have sold out of the "Mini Egg," a personal alarm that sells for less than $10. The battery-powered device allows the holder to pull its key ring pin to activate 140 decibels of piercing noise. Radio Shack Hawai'i spokesman Peter Tabilang said Maui customers may still order them.

Pat Layton, 70, said she carries the egg-shaped alarm for safety and has encouraged other Maui seniors to buy them since the first attack occurred three months ago.

Layton, senior coordinator with the social service agency Maui Economic Opportunity Inc., has conducted presentations about the device to 45 Maui senior club presidents and to gatherings of more than 15 senior citizen clubs. Tomorrow, she will be demonstrating the device to a seniors club at the Wailuku Community Center.

"I was so thrilled that it worked out for this woman. But now I'm wondering what's he going to do next? Is he going to become more physical?" Layton said. "A lot of seniors are very, very scared. I mean scared. But there's also the attitude that 'OK, you scared me. Now I'm getting mad.' "

Layton said she intends to continue spreading the word about the alarm.

"Whenever you run into something like this, you've got to practice security, and security begins with us," she said.

Sgt. Becraft said that while it is a good idea to carry an alarm, a flashlight and a cell phone for protection, it's better not to walk alone. It's also a good idea to walk in the light of the day in well-traveled areas, he said.

Police said the computer-generated sketch will be distributed to community centers, senior citizen communities, Neighborhood Watch programs and others.

Becraft said investigators have checked Maui's registry of sex offenders and are canvassing the Holua Drive neighborhood looking for additional leads. The FBI has been asked to assist with criminal profiling, he said.

"They're putting everyone on this and working it," he said. "We're interviewing everyone who would possibly know something."

Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com.