DNA Match Leads To Arrest For Girl's Sex Assault In 2011

ROHNERT PARK, CA – A Santa Rosa man was arrested last week in connection with a 2011 sexual assault of a teen girl in Sonoma County after his DNA, obtained following a separate attack of a woman this year, purportedly matched the cold case, according to officials.

After receiving confirmation from the state Department of Justice that the submitted DNA sample matched evidence from the the 2011 crime, detectives on Friday secured a warrant and arrested William Deen Brown, 39, at his residence for two counts of suspicion of assault with attempt to commit rape of a minor and counts of alleged forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety said.

The 7-year-old case dates to a Sunday afternoon in November 2011 when a 14-year-old girl near Rohnert Park Expressway and Redwood Drive flagged down a California Highway Patrol officer reporting she just was sexually assaulted in a creek area by a man, who previously appeared to be following her, police said.

The victim told officers she was walking in the area, spotted the man and changed her route heading north on Redwood as she attempted to reach her mother. When the male seemed to no longer be trailing her, she turned, walking back toward Rohnert Park Expressway when he emerged from the Hinebaugh Creek area, grabbed her and forced her down to the creek and allegedly sexually assaulted her, police said.

The child provided a description of her attacker, however, no one matching the description was located, the department said, adding that evidence collected from the teen at a medical examination was sent to CA DOJ for analysis. Although the sample then matched no males in the data base, the evidence was kept on file.

No suspect was identified in the assault until March 2018 when Rohnert Park detectives were notified from DOJ that a hit was made and the collected DNA from 2011 matched Brown, who was arrested for an alleged February sexual assault of a woman in Rohnert Park. A DNA sample from the suspect was collected when he was booked into jail, per state law.

After receiving notice of the new, possible match, detectives reopened an investigation into the 2011 crime, noting Brown matched the physical description given by the girl in 2011.

Initially, Brown denied involvement in the 2011 sex assault when contacted to obtain the new DNA sample, police said. In a re-interview after his arrest, he reportedly admitted to being involved in the incident in 2011, authorities said.

Brown was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on the arrest warrant, held on $200,000 bail.

Anyone with additional information on Brown and the case can contact Rohnert Park Investigations at (707) 584-2630 or rpdpsinvestigations@rpcity.org.

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--Image via Rohnert Park police