Lucky Break Leads To Arrest In 2-Year-Old Sex Assault Case
DENVER (CBS4) - Two years after a serious sex assault at Cheesman Park, Denver police say they have caught the suspect.
According to court documents, a woman went to the park and passed out after ingesting a large amount of prescription medication during a suicide attempt.
"This victim, at the time a 23-year-old woman, was not only suicidal but she had implemented a plan to take her life," said Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver DA's office.
At some point, police believe Gregory Carter, 46, led the woman into an alley between Gilpin and Williams Street and sexually assaulted her at least twice.
Under the veil of the medication, the victim told police she was incapacitated and couldn't fight Carter off.
DNA was collected, it took a year for Carter to be named the suspect.
"There could be any number of reason why the DNA didn't identify him as a suspect until the following July, including the fact that he may not have been in the database until then," Kimbrough said.
Police then had Carter's name but couldn't find him, until last week when he was captured while committing a minor crime on East Colfax Boulevard.
"There was an off-duty DPD officer who was working in the area and stopped a man for jaywalking and when they ran his name through the system the warrant came up for his arrest," Kimbrough said.
Carter is now facing two charges of sexual assault. He is being held on a $50,000 bond at the Denver Jail.