by Thomas Breen The New Haven independent
A DNA profile connected to an unsolved sexual assault in Plano, Texas, helped lead city police to arrest a 34-year-old West Haven man for allegedly wielding a boxcutter and raping a jogger near the Fort Hale dog park.
Police Chief Karl Jacobson and Mayor Justin Elicker described that investigation and arrest Friday morning during a press conference held on the third floor of police headquarters at 1 Union Ave.
Jacobson said that, on Thursday morning, city police arrested the 34-year-old suspect at his West Haven residence. He’s been charged with aggravated sexual assault in the first degree and unlawful restraint in the first degree.
Jacobson said he is currently being held on a $750,000 bond, and is scheduled to be arraigned in state court on Friday.
Even if he were to make bond, Jacobson added, he will not be released, as federal immigration officials have issued a criminal detainer on him, as he is an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala and has previously been deported.
Thursday’s arrest came a little more than a month after a woman was sexually assaulted at around 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9 while jogging on a trail south of Fort Hale dog park at 408 Townsend Ave.
The victim was transported to the hospital for medical treatment. The suspect, who allegedly wielded a boxcutter during the attack, was not located near the scene.
The case was assigned to Det. Samantha Romano under the leadership of Sgt. Cherelle Carr in the special victims unit. City police also worked with the victim and the FBI to put together a sketch of the suspect assailant.
Jacobson said that police obtained evidence from the park, and sent that evidence to a state lab for DNA testing.
“A hit was developed,” he said. The state lab was able to identify a DNA profile that, when compared with a national database, led city police to an unsolved sexual assault in Plano, Texas. Detectives in that case were able to develop a suspect, Jacobson said — the same suspect as the man later arrested in West Haven.
Romano was able to locate the suspect in West Haven, which is where he was residing and where he was taken into custody on Thursday.
Jacobson thanked the victim for working with police to figure out who committed this crime against her. “Her resilience has potentially prevented this from happening to another person. We are extremely grateful for the victim to come forward.”
He also thanked Det. Romano, Sgt. Carr, and the special victims unit for taking the lead on this challenging case.
“Sexual assault is heinous and everyone deserves to be safe,” Elicker said. “This case was a very, very high priority for us.”
Speaking specifically to the fact that the suspect is an undocumented immigrant, Elicker said, “Texas did not arrest this person. New Haven arrested this person. We focus on violent crime and we hold people accountable, regardless of who they are.”
Jacobson and Romano said that this same suspect’s only apparent criminal history was a 2016 arrest in Texas for physical assault.
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