Detectives say DNA has linked a federal bank fraud defendant in Los Angeles to a violent home invasion inside a gated Southern California community, according to the Mercury News.
Los Angeles federal criminal defense attorneys know the popularity of shows like CSI give many the impression that DNA cases are open and shut. In fact, criminal defense lawyers and prosecutors alike must often re-educate the public at the beginning of jury trials about what to expect. Authorities do not use super computer to determine the year and make of a motorcycle based upon the sound of exhaust pipes captured on surveillance video.
There are no magic bullets. For the most part, DNA is reserved for very serious crimes like rape and murder. And the wait list for lab work is long. However, state and federal laws that require convicted felons to submit DNA samples to databases continue to lead to arrests in cold cases. As we reported last summer on our L.A. Criminal Defense Blog, the arrest of the Grim Sleeper is the latest high-profile example.
Detectives with the Asian Gang Team report the 45-year-old defendant was arrested for bank fraud back in October. DNA linked him to the August 2009 Diamond Bar home invasion in which a family was attacked, according to authorities. The mother reported waking to find her 7-year-old son bound and gagged with duct tape. Her 17-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son were also overpowered by the intruder. He fled after she stabbed him with a pair of scissors and pushed him down a flight of stairs.
The Los Angeles Times reports authorities obtained a DNA sample that matched the defendant, who lived in the same gated community at the time. He was arrested by the United States Postal Inspection Service in October 2010 on suspicion of bank fraud. He is currently in federal prison in Los Angeles where he awaits sentencing.
If you are facing federal criminal charges in Los Angeles, contact Rodriguez, Lewis & Kahn for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.
