By Elisabeth Bont and Kat Meyer

Community News Editor & Assoc. Editor

Grand Rapids police officers are tentatively traveling to New York next week to extradite suspected rapist James Earl McRae.

McRae, 39, who has been held in a New York detention facility since early December, was arrested in a Manhattan homeless shelter by FBI agents who received an anonymous tip.

McRae has been accused of raping five women in Grand Rapids and Kentwood, three of whom are students or former students of Calvin College.

According to the Grand Rapids Press, the victims told police their attacked wore a mask when he broke into their homes and threatened them with a knife or a gun.

``Once he's picked up in New York, he'll be transferred by air and housed in Kent County Correctional Facility,'' said Lt. Paul Warwick of the Grand Rapids Police Department.

He will then be arraigned and face a preliminary hearing to recognize that a crime has been committed and McRae is a suspect.

``This hearing doesn't equate guilt or innocence,'' said Warwick. ``The court will establish probable cause and possibly hear testimony from victims.''

McRae was named as a suspect Oct. 29 when authorities learned his DNA matched evidence collected from the unsolved rapes.

A few days earlier, McRae freely gave up his DNA when questioned by his authorities. He was not arrested at that time, however, because the police had no evidence against him.

By the time police received results of the DNA test, McRae had left the state -- bringing the FBI into the manhunt.

Although he was arrested Dec. 2, McRae has fought extradition for the past two months, forcing local authorities to send a warrant to be signed by New York Gov. George Pataki.

The only remaining step in extradition is a court appearance by Grand Rapids officers to prove that they have authorization to transport McRae back to Michigan.

If convicted, McRae faces life in prison.