A New Jersey man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after DNA linked him to a sexual assault that occurred 25 years ago.
Burlington County Attorney LaChia L. Bradshaw announced Wednesday that Rodolfo Vásquez pleaded guilty in June 2022 to first-degree aggravated assault and must serve 85% of the eight-year sentence before being eligible for release. conditional.
A New Jersey man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after DNA linked him to a sexual assault that occurred 25 years ago.
(Burlington County Attorney)
When Vasquez pleaded guilty, he told the court that he entered a home in June 1997 without authorization and sexually assaulted a woman who was there alone, Bradshaw said in a news release Wednesday. While the victim was not identified, the prosecutor said she attempted to defend herself multiple times from her and Vasquez punched her multiple times, ultimately resulting in her permanent loss of vision in one eye.
NEW JERSEY WOMAN SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS IN STATE PRISON FOR HER ROLE IN GOFUNDME SCAM
The investigation into the incident began in June 1997 after Mount Laurel Police Department officers met with the victim. During the meeting, the statement said, the victim said the assault occurred after hearing a noise and when to go check it out.
The victim then encountered a man at the bedroom door, who grabbed her and began hitting her over the head, sexually assaulted her and fled, she told police.
Pipetting placing the sample in the vial to extract DNA evidence in the forensic laboratory.
(Andrew Brookes via Getty Images)
Since the incident occurred in the dark, the victim was unable to provide officers with a description of the suspect.
NEW JERSEY WOMAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR $400K GOFUNDME VIRAL SCAM FOR HOMELESS VETERAN
During the investigation, officers found that a rear sliding glass door was forced open. They also recovered evidence at the scene and the victim underwent a sexual assault examination at the hospital.
The biological evidence was sent to the New Jersey State Police crime lab, according to the statement, which generated a DNA source but was unable to identify a suspect.
FILE- Police caution tape at a crime scene.
(iStock)
The Mount Laurel Police Department was notified in 2020 that DNA from the 1997 case matched Vasquez’s through the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS.
NJ CROWDFUNDING SCAM DEFENDANT KATELYN MCCLURE HAS DELAYED JUDGMENT: REPORTS
Vasquez pleaded guilty to contempt of a court order stemming from his arrest for driving without a license and was asked to produce a DNA sample.
Police obtained a search warrant and collected another DNA sample from Vasquez, which matched the one collected in 1997.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“This case compellingly demonstrates the value of the CODIS database as a law enforcement tool,” said Prosecutor Bradshaw. “I commend all the investigators and law enforcement personnel whose painstaking and diligent work held the defendant accountable after all this time and brought justice for the victim.”
