The 16-year-old boy was arrested for “raping two women in a brutal attack that rocked a small Arizona community.”
- Boy’s name not given as it remains unclear whether he is to be tried as an adult or as a juvenile
- Police were led to the suspect by a tip in the local community
- The suspect’s DNA was already in the police database due to a criminal past
- In both incidents, women were attacked in their own homes
- Police had previously exonerated a 22-year-old man in relation to the crimes
A Scottsdale, Arizona teenager has been arrested for allegedly raping two women, including a neighbor who lives in his apartment building.
DNA evidence linked the 16-year-old boy to the attacks, which took place a week apart on October 18 and 24, police said.
The boy’s name has not been released as he is a juvenile and it has not yet been decided whether he will be tried as an adult.
Police said the suspect entered an apartment in the Camden San Paloma apartment complex through an unlocked patio door
He is being held on charges of sexual assault, kidnapping and burglary, and police believe he may be linked to other crimes in the area, according to a local Arizona TV station. KPHO CBS 5.
Police were recruited by the Scottsdale Police Department, according to Sgt. Mark Clark.
The suspect’s DNA was already in the police department’s database as he has a criminal past which includes crimes related to those for which he is currently being held.
Authorities did not provide any further details about the boy’s previous crimes.
They said DNA testing is underway as police collected additional samples from the suspect’s home through a search warrant.
DNA samples on file have already been linked to both attacks.
The rape victims were unable to identify the boy in a number of suspects, but police say there are some similarities between his appearance and a composite sketch of the suspect, drawn using the description of her attacker’s first victim.
In both attacks, the attackers entered ground floor apartments through unlocked patio doors belonging to women living alone.
In the first attack, which took place at 11 p.m. on October 18, the perpetrator entered an apartment naked and raped the 49-year-old woman living there, who had just finished showering.
He later fled, still undressed. The second attack occurred at around 11:30 p.m. on October 24 at an apartment building across the street.
The 29-year-old victim was sitting on a couch near the door in a nightgown when the attacker broke in, police said.
On Thursday, the day before police arrested the teenager, authorities exonerated a 22-year-old man who had previously been arrested for the same crimes.
Police said the forensic evidence did not match DNA samples collected at the crime scene.
The entire community has been on guard throughout the ongoing investigation, and police are urging residents to keep their doors and windows locked and their blinds closed.
The suspect was described as approximately 5 feet, 7 inches tall, black male with an athletic build.
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