SAEDNEWS: DNA recovered from a 1994 sexual-assault kit in California has been matched to a 55-year-old man and linked him to four previously unsolved sexual-assault cases in Phoenix, officials said.
DNA collected from a 1994 sexual-assault in Ventura County, California, has produced a match that connects a 55-year-old man to four previously unsolved assault cases in Phoenix, authorities said.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said the original victim escaped after the assault and that a sexual-assault kit was collected at the time; the case was later dismissed because of insufficient evidence. After recent DNA testing, the profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System, where it matched samples taken from four cold cases in Phoenix spanning 1998 to 2013.
According to a statement quoted by local outlets, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff called the result “a powerful example of why we remain committed to testing every sexual assault kit in Ventura County,” and stressed that the match shows that authorities will continue to use available forensic tools “no matter how much time has passed.” Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko added that the outcome “underscores the power of DNA testing and the critical role of our crime lab in bringing long-delayed justice.”
Court records show a Maricopa County grand jury returned an indictment in August charging the man, identified by officials as Abraham Ramirez, with 11 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping. Attorney contact information for Ramirez was not available at the time of the release.
Investigators said the development highlights ongoing efforts to re-examine old evidence with modern forensic methods and to connect local cases across jurisdictions. Officials urged survivors to come forward and reaffirmed a commitment to test backlog kits to help resolve cold cases and provide answers to victims and families.
