BRONX, NY – The use of Investigative Genetic Genealogy has led to the indictment of a Florida man for two separate rape cases dating back to 2000 and 2001.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, alongside Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York City Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban, announced the charges, marking the state’s first instance of solving sexual assault cases through this advanced DNA technology.
The suspect, Jancys Santiago, 48, faces charges for attacks in both the Bronx and Manhattan. The Bronx assault occurred in December 2001, where a 21-year-old victim was raped in her apartment.
In the earlier Manhattan case, dated May 23, 2000, a 27-year-old woman was assaulted in her Midtown residence. Both incidents involved the assailant binding the victims with wire hangers before committing the rapes.
DNA profiles from the survivors’ rape kits were crucial in connecting the cases. A $500,000 DOJ grant funded the Investigative Genetic Genealogy approach, which utilized crime scene DNA to search consumer DNA databases. NYPD’s Forensic Laboratory played a key role in developing a family tree that ultimately identified Santiago as the suspect.