DNA technology leads to arrest of man for 2004 Golden Gate sexual assault

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — More than two decades after Collier County deputies said a masked intruder sexually assaulted a woman in her Golden Gate home, the Collier County Sheriff's Office has arrested a suspect with the help of advancement in DNA technology.

Rossel Moises Ponce Chirinos, 46, sits is in a Tennessee jail awaiting extradition to face charges of sexual battery and armed burglary in connection with the Aug. 28, 2004 case.

"This was a heinous crime and our detectives have been intent on solving it since Day One," Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. "We never give up. No matter how much time has passed, we will continue using every investigative tool available to identify offenders and pursue justice for victims."

Deputies say Chirinos, armed with a knife, sexually battered the victim inside her home. DNA collected during the original investigation did not initially produce a match in law enforcement databases.

That changed on Dec. 9, 2025, when the Florida Department of Law Enforcement notified the sheriff's office of a possible investigative lead. FDLE said a recent search of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the FBI's DNA database, indicated a potential match between DNA taken from Chirinos and DNA from the 2004 sexual battery investigation.

Detectives said they learned Chirinos was in jail in Tennessee for driving without a valid license, where his DNA was collected and submitted into CODIS. Through coordination with the Cocke County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee, Collier County detectives tested a new DNA sample from Chirinos.

Within days, FDLE said it confirmed the DNA sample from Chirinos matched the foreign DNA collected during the original sexual battery investigation.

On Dec. 23, detectives got a warant to charge Chirinos with sexual battery and armed burglary. T

he warrant was served on Chirinos at the Cocke County jail, and arrangements are being made for his extradition back to Collier County, the sheriff's office said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.