Forensics help solve 2004 cold case in San Marcos

With the advancements in DNA technology and a Department of Justice Grant Program, old cases that were difficult to solve at the time they first occurred are given a new lens through which to process the information.

These improvements and grants have provided officers with a chance to rejuvenate investigations that had previously grown cold.

A San Marcos sexual assault cold case from 2004 came to a recent conclusion.

San Marcos Police said a call was received on Oct. 9, 2004 reporting an incident in which the male perpetrator entered a female’s home and sexually assaulted her in her bedroom. The victim said she was never able to identify the man whose face was covered with a shirt. The victim was taken to a hospital and a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam was completed, which resulted in the collection of a DNA sample. The DNA was entered into the Combined DNA Index System with the hope of finding a match in the future.

With help from the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Assistance provided by the Department of Justice, which provides grant funding for agencies to continue work on cold cases involving homicides and sexual assaults, the case was given a second look. Officials said, since the inception of the SAKI program in 2019, nine successful leads have been generated.

This year, officials said that investigators coordinated with DPS Crime Safety Laboratory to conduct additional DNA testing on the 2004 case. With the advancements in technology, a possible lead was found in March 2023. San Marcos native Ricardo Cruz Rodriguez, 44, was living in Tampa, Florida and was identified as an alleged lead during the investigation.

San Marcos Police Department officials alleged that with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, they were able to obtain a DNA sample from Rodriguez for comparison with the 2004 sample. Police stated the samples matched.

SMPD, in concert with the Hays County District Attorney’s Office and HCSO detectives, arrested Rodriguez in Florida on Sept. 25 and charged Rodriguez with two counts of aggravated sexual assault.

He is currently at the Orient Road Jail in Tampa awaiting extradition to Texas to face trial.