2017 Sexual Assault Suspect Identified By DNA Match: St. Pete Police

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The suspect in a 2017 “violent sexual assault” was arrested thanks to a DNA match, according to a St. Petersburg Police Department news release.

David Person, 67, was charged with sexual battery, aggravated battery and false imprisonment.

Person approached the victim from behind on Sept. 14, 2017, and hit her with a closed fist, knocking her unconscious, police said. Then, he sexually assaulted her.

On April 19 of this year, detectives received a notification from the Combined DNA Index System that his DNA from a recent arrest matched the DNA in the system from the 2017 case.

Detectives spent the past few weeks finding the victim, who now lives out of the area, and tracking down Person to take him into custody, police said.