| For Immediate Release Case # 12CF1024 April 11, 2012 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718Farrah Emami Spokesperson Office: 714-347-8405 Cell: 714-323-4486
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MAN LINKED THROUGH DNA TO 2001 COLD-CASE FORCIBLE RAPE OF WOMAN HE KIDNAPPED FROM BUS STOP
*Defendant was linked to the crime using OCDA’s local DNA database
SANTA ANA – A man will be arraigned today for kidnapping a woman from a bus stop and forcibly raping her in his car in a 2001 cold-case after being linked to the crime through DNA using the Orange County District Attorney’s (OCDA) local DNA database. Raul Moreno-Perez, 32, is charged with one felony count each of kidnapping to commit a sexual offense, forcible rape, and forcible oral copulation. He faces sentencing enhancement allegations for increasing the risk of harm by kidnapping and kidnapping to commit a sexual offense. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life in state prison. The defendant is being held on $1 million bail in this case and is also subject to a no-bail U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold. Moreno-Perez is expected to be arraigned today, Wednesday, April 11, 2012, at 3:00 p.m.. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.
“This is exactly the type of crime we were targeting when we created the Orange County District Attorney’s local DNA database. I am confident that many violent, serious crimes such as this will be solved as more samples from local offenders are entered into the database,” stated District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. “Now, this Jane Doe and the citizens of Orange County can breathe a little easier because this defendant has been taken off the streets.”
Circumstances of the Sexual Assault
At approximately 8:00 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2001, 19–year-old Jane Doe was waiting at a bus stop on Main Street in Orange. Moreno-Perez is accused of driving up in his vehicle and stopping his car near Jane Doe. He is accused of asking the victim if she wanted a ride and then driving away when she declined.
Several minutes later, Moreno-Perez is accused of returning to the bus stop and getting out of his car to sit on the bench next to Jane Doe. He is accused of putting his arm around the victim and telling her that he wanted to take her home. Jane Doe refused and Moreno-Perez is accused of then forcing the victim to stand up and get into his car.
Moreno-Perez is accused of slapping Jane Doe as she tried to resist and driving her to a parking lot behind a grocery store in Garden Grove. When Jane Doe got out of the parked car and attempted to escape, Moreno-Perez is accused of chasing and pushing her before forcing her back to the car. Once back inside the vehicle, Moreno-Perez is accused of raping the victim and forcing Jane Doe to orally copulate him.
Jane Doe was finally able to escape and reported the sexual assault to the Orange Police Department (OPD), who investigated the case. Evidence was collected, including DNA, but the case went cold. The Orange County Crime Laboratory created a DNA profile of the unknown offender at that time.