A decade-old Dallas sexual assault case was cold. Police say new DNA testing and testimony lead to an arrest
An arrest has been made in a sexual assault case that the Dallas Police Department reports went cold over a decade ago.
DPD said the arrest of 35-year-old Jarvis Pierce occurred in June 2026 after new DNA testing and additional testimony were obtained. Pierce is now charged with sexual assault, and the department said detectives are digging into other cold cases he may be connected to.
The department said that at the core of the breakthrough is the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) launched by the federal Department of Justice more than a decade ago. SAKI sees the DOJ partner with police departments across the country to help collect and review DNA evidence that could be used to make progress in unsolved sexual assault cases.
Dallas Police said Detective Elizabeth DeAngelis, in 2021, was asked to spearhead DPD's SAKI initiative to start working on cold sexual assault cases. DeAngelis, the department notes, is a veteran in the department with experience in vice and human trafficking cases, and she eagerly took on the work.
DPD said in February 2026 that DeAngelis was notified of a DNA match to one of her cases that had been unsolved for more than a decade. After reviewing the case file and evidence, the department said she partnered with fellow department veteran Sara Sheerin. Sheerin was also cast in Police Women of Dallas.
Both detectives began reinterviewing victims and gathering more DNA evidence, finding what they believed was a match in Pierce. DPD said they then called in Detective Carlos Cardenas for additional support; the department cited his 20 years of experience with Dallas Police, and he handled the interrogation. The trio put together the new testimony and evidence to secure Pierce's arrest.
The department said DeAngelis, Sheering, and Cardenas all had the same response when asked why they chose to work in law enforcement: "We are a family and we work to give victims a voice, a sense of relief, and an equal shot at justice."
The department praised the trio's work in this case, citing their initiative, compassion, and dedication.