Home / Crime and Justice / Cold Case Cracked: DNA Solves 21-Year-Old Sexual Assault
Cold Case Cracked: DNA Solves 21-Year-Old Sexual Assault
1 Jan
Summary
- DNA evidence linked a suspect to a 21-year-old sexual battery case.
- The suspect was identified through a national DNA database match.
- Justice was pursued using modern forensic tools after decades.
A sexual battery and armed burglary that occurred in the early morning hours of August 28, 2004, has been solved thanks to DNA evidence. A masked intruder armed with a knife sexually battered a woman inside her home. The DNA collected at the time did not yield a match.
Recently, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement notified the Collier County Sheriff's Office of a potential breakthrough. A search of the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) indicated a match between DNA from Rossel Moises Ponce Chirinos, 46, and the 2004 investigation. Chirinos was already in custody in Tennessee for an unrelated charge, and his DNA sample was in CODIS.
In coordination with Tennessee authorities, a new DNA sample was obtained from Chirinos, which was confirmed to match the evidence from the 2004 crime. Detectives secured an arrest warrant on December 23, and Chirinos is currently awaiting extradition to Collier County to face charges. The sheriff's office emphasized their commitment to pursuing justice, no matter how much time has passed.
