DNA Evidence Leads to Arrest in 2009 Pompano Beach Rape Case

Cold Case Cracked by DNA Technology

• 💡 A 2009 armed home invasion and rape case in Pompano Beach has been solved thanks to advancements in DNA tracking technology.
• 🎯 Detectives with the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) persistently worked the case, which had gone cold.

The 2009 Home Invasion

• ⚠️ A woman asleep with her children nearby woke up to a masked intruder holding a gun to her face.
• ⚡ The assailant committed a sexual battery and stole the victim's purse before fleeing.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fortunately, the children present during the incident were unharmed.

Arrest and DNA Match

• 🔍 Initial DNA samples from the crime scene led to a dead end, but investigators resubmitted them as technology advanced.
• 🧬 Comparing the DNA to a state offender database narrowed down potential suspects, leading to a search warrant for Whistler Marcales.
• ✅ DNA extracted from Marcales, who was arrested just one block from the crime scene, provided a solid match to the evidence left behind in 2009.

Justice for the Voiceless

• ⚖️ Whistler Marcales, 63, has been arrested and charged with sexual battery with a weapon and armed burglary.
• 🎤 BSO officials emphasized their role as the "voice to the voiceless" and the voice of the forgotten through cold case investigations.
• 🔒 Marcales is currently being held in the Broward County Jail without bond.