|
Arrest Warrant Obtained
for Suspect in '98 Sexual Assault
On WIU Students
A two-count aggravated kidnapping and six-count aggravated criminal
sexual assault arrest warrant was obtained by McDonough County
States Attorney William Poncin and Assistant States Attorney
Pat O'Brien for a March 7, 1998 incident where two
female WIU students were abducted from a University parking lot
and sexually assaulted in rural McDonough County. Bond on the
Class X felonies was set at $1 million by McDonough County Judge
John Clerkin.
According to Office of Public Safety (OPS)
Captain Chris Jagielo, the arrest warrant identified the
offender by his DNA profile based on evidence collected from the
victims and at the scene. Jagielo said the perpetrator's DNA profile
is now in CODIS (Combined DNA Index System), a nationwide DNA
database of outstanding cases. CODIS holds DNA profiles of known
sex offenders, such as registered sex offenders.
"The suspect's DNA is currently being
checked against CODIS by the Illinois state crime lab. If he is
a suspect in another sexual assault or has been convicted of a
sexual assault, we may identify him," Jagielo explained.
Jagielo added that while law enforcement
officers do not know the current identity of the suspect, the
arrest warrants were obtained to stop the statute of limitations
on the case.
"In Illinois, a sexual assault offense
only has a three-year statute of limitations," he said. "If
March 7 would pass without this arrest warrant on file, we couldn't
charge the individual even if we caught him March 8."
Now that officers have an arrest warrant
for the perpetrator, the time period for an arrest is unlimited
as it stops the statute of limitations on the case.
Persons who have information regarding this
case can contact the Office of Public Safety at 298-1949 or Macomb
Area Crime Stoppers at 836-3222.
|
