Man charged with raping teenage girl at Tustin park

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A 21-year-old Orange County man has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl in a Tustin park last October after authorities said they linked the man to the crime through DNA evidence.

Chase Jeffrey White, a Tustin resident, faces a maximum of nine years in state prison and lifetime sex offender registration if convicted, authorities said.

White, a Tustin resident, was arrested Tuesday and is being held on $100,000 bail. His arraignment is set for Thursday.

Authorities said that on the night of Oct. 16, White and a friend approached a 17-year-old girl in Centennial Park in Tustin. As White’s friend held down the girl, authorities said, White allegedly sexually assaulted her. Both men allegedly fled the scene.

Once she returned home, the girl reported the alleged rape to Tustin police.

During the course of the investigation, DNA evidence that was collected was uploaded into a local database, where it was matched with White, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors did not disclose why White’s DNA was in the database.

White’s friend, who was allegedly in the park with him that night, has since died and was not charged in the case.

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-- Rick Rojas