RAPID DNA LEADS TO RAPID CONVICTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 17NF1098

May 2, 2017

Contact:	Lt. Darrin Devereux Public Information Officer Brea Police Department	Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Orange County District Attorney	Michelle Van Der Linden Spokesperson Orange County District Attorney
Office:	714-990-7748	714-347-8408	714-347-8405
Cell:		714-292-2718	714-323-4486

RAPID DNA LEADS TO RAPID CONVICTION

*Carjacker identified by DNA left on a cigarette was convicted and sentenced 50 days after the crime

FULLERTON, Calif. – A carjacker who was identified by DNA left on a cigarette in a recovered vehicle was arrested, charged, and convicted within 50 days of the crime.

Defendant	Charge	Sentence
Gary Munoz, 30, Orange	Pleaded guilty on April 27, 2017: One felony count of carjacking	Court offer: Three years in state prison Ordered to pay restitution

Circumstances of the Case

• On March 9, 2017, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Munoz approached an idling vehicle in a parking lot off of Imperial Highway in Brea while a woman sat in the passenger seat.
• While the driver was away from the car looking for an ATM, Munoz demanded the passenger exit the vehicle, then stole the car and fled.
• The victims immediately called the Brea Police Department (BPD), who investigated this case and located the stolen car parked less than two miles away on Jasmine Drive.
• BPD collected a used cigarette in the cup holder that did not belong to either victim and submitted it for forensic analysis with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) Rapid DNA instrument.
• On March 15, 2017, the DNA profile in evidence was matched to Munoz’ DNA profile in OCDA’s local DNA Database.
• On March 22, 2017, Munoz was arrested on a warrant by the La Habra Police Department and was later charged with carjacking.       
  

Deputy District Attorney Andrew Katz of the DNA Unit prosecuted this case.

Rapid DNA Program

The RAPID DNA program merges the power of the Local OCDA DNA Database with cutting edge DNA technology to provide investigators with leads, including suspect names, within hours of a crime. The program launched in 2015 and is available to all local law enforcement. The IntegenX RapidHIT 200 DNA instrument, which was validated for use with the assistance of the Orange County Crime Lab (OCCL), can generate a DNA profile from evidence collected at a crime scene in less than two hours. If suitable, that crime scene DNA profile is searched against the Local OCDA DNA Database, which was established in 2007 and is now the largest consensual DNA database in the country. The RAPID program is supported by Proposition 69 funding and is a collaborative effort among the OCDA, OCCL and local law enforcement to harness the power of science and technology to promote justice and enhance public safety.