DNA Helps Coral Springs PD Crack Cold Case
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CORAL SPRINGS (CBSMiami) - Coral Springs police have made an arrest in a 31-year-old cold case in which a woman was attacked and raped in her home.
On the night of October 22nd, 1987, the 27-year-old woman woke to a man standing over her while she slept in her bed. The woman would later tell police that the man wore a dark-colored ski mask and possibly "socks", "gloves" or "mitts" on his hands.
She said was held down by her attacker and complied with his demands because she thought he would kill her if she didn't
During the investigation, forensic evidence was collected from the scene and sent to the Broward County Sheriff's Office Crime Lab for analysis. At the time of the incident evidence collected was unable to connect anyone to the attack.
Last March, detectives with the department's Special Victims Unit were assigned the cold case. In reviewing it, they asked the sheriff's crime lab to re-test the forensic evidence.
On May 29, thanks to advances in DNA technology, the crime lab found there was a positive match for a DNA sample collected at the scene - 59-year-old Frank Montana "aka Frank Cruz."
An arrest warrant was obtained for Montana. A check of his criminal history revealed a prior arrest for a sexual battery case in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Montana was located and arrested in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He's been two counts of Sexual Battery with a weapon and Armed Burglary/Dwelling.
