2015/03/04

Mass Live March 2, 2015: DNA hit puts another rapist in prison, this time in 1998 Holyoke case

The rape happened in 1998 at a playground in Holyoke. Jesus Oquendo was arrested in 2012 when DNA taken in a rape kit from the victim matched his DNA in the national DNA database.

A woman was walking on High Street in Holyoke and a man approached her. She said she was trying to get a ride to Chicopee.

The man said his sister lived nearby and would give her a ride. They walked a bit then the man grabbed her, put his hands over her mouth, dragged her into the bushes and raped her.

After he told her, "No one's going to know about this, " he told her to wait five minutes after he left.

The woman called 911 and was taken to a hospital where a rape kit was performed which included DNA.

Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett said in 2011 a "hit" was discovered that tied the DNA from the case to a profile in the DNA database.

It was DNA identifying Jesus Oquendo. Holyoke police detective Jennifer Sattler went to talk to Oquendo, who said he was in Puerto Rico at the time of the rape.

But Sattler knew Oquendo was appearing for court dates in other cases here at the time.

Oquendo was arrested Oct. 1, 2012, for the rape, and the case wended its way through court and several defense lawyers until Oquendo pleaded guilty in late January. Prosecutors had asked for and gotten a new DNA sample from Oquendo. more