Alleged Serial Rapist Jory Wiebrand Charged In 3 New Cases
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Ham Lake man who was charged last month in connection to two sexual assaults was charged in three more cases on Tuesday.
Authorities have said that 34-year-old Jory Wiebrand is suspected in at least 10 cases between 2013 and 2020 -- mainly in Minneapolis -- according to court documents.
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The incidents included in the new allegations span a five year period.
First, on March 23, 2015, a woman was removing snow from her car when she was raped by a man.
The victim said a man came from behind her, sprayed her in the face with pepper spray, and then forced her to the ground and sexually assaulted her.
She was eventually able to get away, scale a fence, and get help from people in the area. At a hospital, DNA from a sexual assault examination was submitted to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for testing. A criminal complaint says the DNA profile matched Wiebrand's known DNA profile.
READ MORE: Police Believe Several Minneapolis Sexual Assaults Are Connected To One Man Who's Still At Large
In the next incident on August 4, 2018, Minneapolis Police say a woman returned from a social gathering with friends at about 2:30 a.m. and went to have a cigarette on her back patio. When outside a man attacked her from behind, pulled her into her house, choked her and sexually assaulted her.
The victim said her attacker sprayed her face with pepper spray before taking her purse and leaving.
Later, DNA testing done during a sexual assault examination at the hospital found that while "99.99999997%" of the population could be ruled out as a match for the DNA, Wiebrand could not be excluded.
Finally, on Jan. 3, 2020, a University of Minnesota student contacted police saying they had surveillance footage of a man looking into their windows. Law enforcement says the video showed "a clear image of Wiebrand's face peering into homes with a flashlight."
Between the three crimes, Wiebrand faces a total of seven counts of a variety of criminal charges. The most serious charge -- first-degree criminal sexual conduct -- comes with a minimum sentence of 12 years in prison. The news release says more charges are likely to come against him.
