A 25-year-old South Florida man arrested for beating and sexually assaulting a 60-year-old woman has been released from Broward County Jail after a week behind bars. His release came after DNA evidence found in the investigation failed to link him to the crime.
The man says that he did not commit the crime, even though he reportedly confessed to police. His attorney says that the confession was coerced. He said, “This is a classic, textbook example of officers that are using their investigating techniques, their statement techniques in order to get folks to say things that are in fact not true.” Another attorney says that the young man was arrested based on a sketch that bears “no resemblance whatsoever” to him.
Sunrise Police say that they released the man after conferring with the State Attorney’s Office. A statement by police said, “This DNA evidence does not exonerate [the man] but does cause the need for further investigation.”
The man says that his incarceration was particularly difficult for him and his family since his sister had just passed away, and that he feared that he would spend decades behind bars. He called the experience “a wake-up call” to “get my life together.” He didn’t elaborate on what that meant, but said, “None of us are perfect. None of us live perfect lives, but there’s a lot I can clean up in my life.”
It’s easy for people to find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and, perhaps because they already have a criminal record or have had other run-ins with the law, get accused of crimes they didn’t commit. Florida criminal defense attorneys can work to help ensure that their clients’ rights are protected throughout the judicial process.