Suspect in 2004 Collier County sexual battery case arrested thanks to new DNA match

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. —

A suspect has been arrested thanks to a DNA match in a 2004 sexual battery case in Collier County.

According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office, Rossel Moises Ponce Chirinos, 46, who was in the Cocke County jail in Tennessee, was extradited to Collier County on Tuesday after a DNA match linked him to a 2004 sexual battery case.

According to CCSO, in the early hours of Aug. 28, 2004, a masked intruder entered a home with a knife and sexually battered a victim. DNA gathered in the original investigation did not initially produce a match.

On Dec. 9, 2025, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement notified CCSO of a possible lead. Chirinos was in jail in Tennessee for driving without a license, during which his DNA was taken and submitted to the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, CCSO said.

Deputies obtained a new sample of Chirinos' DNA and tested it against the DNA collected during the original CCSO sexual battery investigation. The FDLE confirmed the DNA matched, CCSO said.

On Dec. 23, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Chirinos on sexual battery and armed burglary charges.

Chirinos was extradited and booked into the Collier County jail on Tuesday.

"This arrest underscores our commitment to victims and justice," Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. "It also shows the power of modern DNA technology and law enforcement partnerships. By working across state lines, our detectives were able to identify a suspect and close this case after 21 years."

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