Man pleads guilty to rape of girl, 10
Jose Abel Zelaya-Ascencio
A 32-year-old man pleaded guilty in Prince William Circuit Court on Monday to raping a 10-year-old girl.
Jose Abel Zelaya-Ascencio, of no fixed address, was charged with raping the girl at her family’s home in the 7500 block of Alleghany Court on Oct. 22, 2007.
According to court testimony Monday, the girl was awakened at 5:35 a.m. that morning when Zelaya-Ascencio broke into the house and went into her bedroom.
The girl, who was home alone with her 7-year-old brother, said she tried to get away, but Zelaya-Ascencio overpowered her and raped her, police said.
The girl told police that her attacker wore a bandanna over his face, but she suspected it was Zelaya-Ascencio, who had rented a room at her house prior to the incident.
Zelaya-Ascencio denied being at the house that morning and being involved in the rape, but DNA evidence linked him to the crime scene, police said at the time.
Prosecutors are recommending that Zelaya-Ascencio be sentenced to 20 years in prison, with 10 years suspended, and 10 years of probation.
His sentencing hearing is set for March 6.
Zelaya-Ascencio is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador and could face deportation, officials said.
Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.
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The Courts are convinced DNA evidence is absolute certainty. IT IS NOT. The DNA profiles use a small part of our DNA.
Raymond Easton suffers from Parkinson’s disease. By the year 2000 he was so disabled that he could not manage to dress himself alone.
In spite of this he was charged with a burglary which had taken place 200 miles away from his home.
Three years earlier Raymond was involved in a family dispute. He had been cautioned and a DNA sample was taken. Raymond’s DNA matched that found at the scene of the burglary.
Fortunately DNA testing offered a way out of the situation it had created. Once a fuller DNA analysis was made, differences between Raymond’s DNA and that of the burglar became clear and the charges against him were dropped.
Despite its increased resolution, DNA profiling is often not enough.
Mark Benecke, one of Europe’s leading consultant forensic biologists,based in Cologne, Germany, said, “Wrongful convictions can only be made if DNA is looked upon as the only evidence.“
The integration of different sources of forensic evidence and their combination with investigative and legal procedures are even more significant than progress in any single field, such as DNA testing.
myfloridalegal.com
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