Man arrested in sex abuse of 8-year-old linked by DNA, police say

 

A man arrested on suspicion of climbing through a window of a Santa Ana home and sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl in her bunk bed was linked to the crime through DNA, police said.

Damien Anthony Reyes was arrested Wednesday at his home in the 1300 block of North King Street after detectives were told there was a positive match on the DNA left at the scene of the June attack.

Reyes was booked at the Santa Ana Jail on suspicion of burglary and child molestation by force with enhancements that could lead to a potential life sentence upon conviction. He was being held in lieu of $1-million bail.

Authorities did not say how Reyes' DNA got into the state or federal DNA database. In most cases an arrest or conviction leads to a DNA sample being taken.

Reyes allegedly broke into a home in the 1500 block of North Ross Street through an unlocked window about 1:30 a.m. June 29, police said. He then climbed into a top bunk bed where the girl was sleeping and sexually assaulted her.

The noise woke up the girl's 13-year-old sister, who was asleep on the bottom bed, police said. Both girls screamed and woke up their father, who ran to their aid. Detectives said the man immediately fled the house through the same window and was last seen running south.

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-- Richard Winton