Suspect DNA in 2009 Seattle robbery matches 2023 child rape

Suspect DNA in 2009 Seattle robbery matches 2023 Renton child rape

Renton Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man wanted for raping a child in 2023, whose DNA also connected him to a 2009 Seattle home invasion.

RENTON, Wash. - Renton Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man wanted for raping a child in 2023, whose DNA also connected him to a 2009 Seattle home invasion.

In December 2023, a 12-year-old girl was raped in Renton. The rape suspect's DNA was tested, and positively matched unidentified DNA from a Seattle case 14 years ago.

The 2009 case was a home invasion robbery with sexual motivation. In that case, the victim got a good look at the suspect and reportedly spoke with him.

Renton Police say the suspect threatened the adult victim with rape and groped her several times during the robbery. There were also other suspects present during the crime.

The victim from the Seattle case was able to help an artist create a sketch of the suspect:

Sketch of suspect in 2009 Seattle case

The suspect may now have wrinkles or glasses, as he's about 14 years older now. He's described as a Hispanic male with dark hair, 5'8" to 5'10" tall, medium build, with facial hair or stubble. Police say his hairstyle has likely changed.

The victim in the Seattle case said there was a noticeable scar on the side of his mouth, and believed he was about 30 years old. The suspect spoke both English and Spanish, and both victims were Hispanic.

Detectives believe the man didn't stop committing crimes for 15 years, and there could be other victims who have not come forward.

"Our goal is to prevent further crimes from occurring," said Detective Liberty Billingsley of the Renton Police Department. "I imagine that he has a propensity for violence."

Billingsley says the DNA collected as evidence was sent through the CODIS law enforcement database, and a match came back to the 2009 Seattle case.

"The 12-year-old victim had reported that the subject had climbed through a bedroom window and sexually assaulted her," said Billingsley.

It happened at a home near Southwest Henderson and 9th Avenue Southwest in the Highland Park neighborhood.

"Initially we had high hopes that the CODIS match would potentially reveal the identity of a subject, unfortunately it did not, it just linked the two crimes together as the same suspect," Billingsley said.

Billingsley also plans to send the DNA out for forensic genealogy testing to try to find the suspect’s potential family members. Because there is so much unknown, police say it’s urgent to find him.

"Serial rapes are very uncommon most of the time it’s a household member or family friend, so we are taking this very seriously and again encouraging everybody to take a good look at this sketch that was completed and let us know if he looks familiar," Billingsley said.

Anyone that can identify the suspect or has information that can help police is asked to contact Det. Billingsley at lbillingsley@rentonwa.gov.