FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Davie Police have made an arrest in a 2010 rape case thanks to new DNA technology.
For seven years, the case was unsolved — until now.
According to Davie Police, 48-year-old Hugo Polanco was arrested Thursday and charged with sexual battery for an attack that occurred the day after Thanksgiving in 2010.
“After some issues with DNA not coming back on a hit, the case went cold,” said Davie Police Sgt. Mark Leone.
Polanco appeared before a judge Friday, where he was also told he would be held on an illegal immigration charge. A pending sexual assault charge was also issued.
A 48-year-old woman was jogging at Robbins Lodge Park along Hiatus Road when police said Polanco attacked her.
Officials said that the subject pulled the victim’s shirt over her face, and that’s when he tried to rape her.
Davie Police said, after discovering a small saliva sample at the crime scene, new DNA technology helped them create a suspect profile. With it, a composite sketch was made of the person they believe was behind the attack.
“This is how the analysis comes back,” said Leone. “It comes back with some DNA characteristics and a possible composite of what the suspect possibly could look like.”
Leone added, “When the detectives canvassed the area, they found a gentleman matched that description, began speaking with him, handled their investigation and after him consenting to giving his DNA, they were able to get that positive match on him.”
Officials said there was a chance of one and 400 billion that Polanco was not the suspect, but the technology helped police narrow down the results of that DNA sample provided by the subject.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.