DNA leads to arrest in sexual assault of Santa Ana girl

A man was arrested Wednesday after he was linked through DNA to the sexual assault of an 8-year-old Santa Ana girl in her bunk bed, police said. The assailant climbed in through an unlocked window of her home.

Damien Anthony Reyes was arrested at his home in the 1300 block of North King Street after detectives were told there was a positive match on the DNA left at the scene of the June attack.

Reyes was booked at the Santa Ana Jail on suspicion of burglary, child molestation by force with enhancements that could lead to a potential life sentence upon conviction. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

Authorities did not say how Reyes' DNA got into the state or federal DNA database. In most cases an arrest or conviction leads to a DNA sample being taken.

The noise woke up the girl's 13-year-old sister, who was asleep on the bottom bed, police said. Both girls screamed and woke up their father, who ran to their aid.

Detectives said the man immediately fled the house through the same window and was last seen running south.

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-- Richard Winton

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DNA leads to arrest in sexual assault of Santa Ana girl