DNA Advancements Lead to Arrest in 2009 Pompano Beach Rape Case

Cold Case Solved Through DNA

• 💡 A 2009 armed home invasion rape case in Pompano Beach has been solved after 16 years due to advancements in DNA evidence.
• 🎯 Detectives at the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) worked persistently on this case, which was initially reported in June 2009.

The 2009 Incident

• 📌 The crime occurred in the 600 block of Northwest 9th Avenue, where a man broke into a home and attacked a 36-year-old woman at gunpoint while her children slept nearby.
• ⚠️ The victim was asleep when the suspect entered her room and carried out the attack before fleeing.
• 🚫 The children were unharmed and slept through the incident, but no arrest was made at the time, and the case went cold.

DNA Match and Arrest

• 🔬 Detectives obtained a grant to pursue cold cases and re-tested the DNA evidence from the crime scene.
• 🧬 This led to a family DNA match, which helped identify the suspect, Weisler Marcelis, a 63-year-old man.
• ✈️ Marcelis was arrested upon returning from a trip to Haiti, where authorities obtained a warrant for his DNA, confirming a solid match.
• ✅ He has been charged with sexual battery with a weapon and armed burglary.

Justice for the Voiceless

• 💬 BSO officials highlighted the importance of cold case investigations, referring to investigators as the "voice to the voiceless."
• 👏 The arrest brings relief to the victim, who has waited 16 years for justice, and is a testament to the hard work of the cold case unit.