Syracuse, NY - A town of Onondaga man was arraigned today in County Court on a sealed indictment linking him to a sexual assault that occurred in the city of Syracuse seven years ago. Vincent C. Torres, 44, was indicted as "John Doe" based on the DNA profile authorities obtained from evidence recovered from the crime scene. The indictment charges...
Syracuse, NY - A town of Onondaga man was arraigned today in County Court on a sealed indictment linking him to a sexual assault that occurred in the city of Syracuse seven years ago.
Vincent C. Torres, 44, was indicted as "John Doe" based on the DNA profile authorities obtained from evidence recovered from the crime scene.
The indictment charges him with first-degree criminal sexual act, attempted first-degree criminal sexual act, aggravated second-degree sexual abuse and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse.
Assistant District Attorney Kari Armstrong said the charges stem from a sexual assault that occurred in Syracuse on June 7, 2003. Authorities obtained an indictment against the suspect's DNA profile to keep the statute of limitations from running out in the event a suspect ever was caught to be prosecuted, she said.
Torres was arrested Monday at his home after his DNA was linked to the indicted suspect profile DNA, according to defense lawyer George Hildebrandt.
Armstrong declined to say where authorities obtained a DNA sample from Torres to match to the indicted DNA sample from the crime scene. But Hildebrandt said he suspected the sample from Torres was put into the DNA data base as a result of him being convicted in federal court on a drug charge two years ago.
Armstrong today asked Fahey to set bail at $250,000 cash or $500,000 bond. Hildebrandt asked to have bail set at $10,000 cash or bond.
Fahey set bail at $100,000 cash or bond and adjourned the case to Aug. 24 for the lawyers to argue over a prosecution request to take a new DNA sample from Torres for confirmatory DNA testing to be conducted.
First Chief Assistant District Attorney Rick Trunfio said his office has presented a number of suspect DNA profile cases to grand juries in order the allow for a prosecution if a suspect is ever linked to the case.
That is not necessary to do any more because of legislation eliminating the statute of limitations problems in such sex assault cases, he said.