An Arlington man was arrested in connection with five sexual offenses that occurred in the Georgetown area of the District of Columbia between 2008 and 2012.
Ernesto Mercado, 54, was arrested Tuesday night and charged by complaint with three counts of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances and give counts of second-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, according to the Department of Justice.
He had an appearance in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Wednesday. The Hon. Heide L. Herrmann ordered Mercado held pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 10.
The charges are in connection with five previously unsolved, forensically linked home invasion rapes.
According to the complaint, evidence testing in all five cases yielded the same unknown male DNA profile which also matched a DNA profile for a separate offense that occurred just off the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park, Md.
According to the complaint, in multiple attacks, the complainants were sleeping when Mercado began his assault. They reported being awakened to a stranger who was sexually assaulting them. After the victims woke up, the assailant fled.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrest. The arrest is the culmination of work by the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, a joint effort by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with support from other law enforcement partners, to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously unsolved sexual assault cases.
“Thanks to DNA evidence from the rape kits of courageous survivors, improvements in DNA technology, and the tireless efforts of our law enforcement partners and our prosecutors, we were able to link these … rapes,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
“Once we had a DNA profile of the suspect, the team used every forensic tool at its disposal, as well as old-fashioned detective work, to identify the person behind this DNA profile.”
The incidents charged include:
- June 26, 2008 sexual assault
- July 10, 2009 sexual assault
- Feb. 28, 2010 sexual assault
- Aug. 29, 2010 sexual assault
- Aug. 31, 2012, sexual assault
This is an ongoing investigation.
Anyone who was a victim of sexual assault or who may have information related to these or other cases are asked to call the MPD at (202) 727-9099.
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Crystal Graham
