Man arrested 21 years after sexual battery incident in Golden Gate

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. —

A man was arrested in connection with a sexual battery incident that occurred in 2004 in Golden Gate.

Rossel Moises Ponce Chirinos, 46, was arrested in Tennessee after Collier County detectives said they got a DNA match to the crime that happened over 21 years ago.

According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office, on the morning of Aug. 28, 2004, a masked intruder armed with a knife sexually battered the victim inside her home. The sheriff's office said the DNA connected from the original investigation didn't initially provide a match.

On Dec. 9, however, CCSO was notified of a potential lead by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A search of the Combined DNA Index System, which is the FBI's DNA database, showed a possible match occurred between DNA taken from Chirinos and DNA from the 2004 sexual battery investigation.

CCSO detectives learned Chirinos was in jail in Tennessee for driving without a valid license, and his DNA was taken and submitted to CODIS. After a few days, FDLE was able to confirm the DNA sample from Chirinos matched the foreign DNA that was collected during the original investigation.

The sheriff's office said detectives obtained a warrant on Dec. 23 for Chirinos's arrest on charges of sexual battery and armed burglary.

According to CCSO, the warrant was served on Chirinos at the Cocke County jail, and arraignments are being made to have him extradited back to Collier County.

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