Arrest Made In Sacramento County 'Cloverleaf Rapist' Investigation
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A suspected serial rapist accused of numerous violent sexual assaults in Sacramento County between 2013-2014 has been arrested, authorities announced on Thursday.
JD Wallace Simien, 40, of Sacramento County, was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
The county Sheriff's Office and county District Attorney's Office announced Simien's arrest came from authorities' use of investigative genetic genealogy, which was a key tool in identifying Joseph James DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer and Roy Waller as the NorCal Rapist.
"DNA technology is a great tool in our criminal justice system," Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said in a statement. "DNA can not only be used to exonerate the innocent, but it is a powerful investigative tool for violent crimes that have grown cold because traditional investigative methods are unable to solve the case. In this case, detectives from the Sheriff's Office and investigators from my office worked hand in hand in the investigation utilizing Investigative Genetic Genealogy to identify the suspect in this case."
Simien's alleged crimes occurred in the northern portion of Sacramento County. According to the sheriff's office, the suspect was dubbed the "Cloverleaf Rapist" due to the crime scenes' proximity to freeway entrances and exits, which usually resemble a cloverleaf pattern. The case remained cold until recently.
In one of his alleged crimes he is accused of kidnapping, raping and stabbing a woman.
"To find out that he is here on the street, I'm just still kind of in disbelief," explained one Sacramento resident who did not want to be identified.
Neighbors on Spartan Way in Sacramento were shocked to hear the man investigators believe is a serial attacker lived on their street.
"We have passed by his house many times on walks and he always seemed like a nice guy, waving and saying hello," said the resident who wanted to remain anonymous.
CBS13 spoke to several neighbors who described Simien as a friendly family man who always talks to people in the neighborhood.
Sacramento County deputies stood outside Simien's house Thursday as his family packed up to leave. A woman who was seen leaving from his house declined to comment.
Investigators said there are no further arrests anticipated in the case but ask anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.
As of Thursday afternoon, the sheriff's office said it did not have a booking photo of Simien available. Simien is facing several charges including rape, kidnapping and robbery.