A $5 million bond has been set for an Arizona man in custody for a 2001 sexual assault in West Chicago.
The accused, a 51-year-old man from Florence, Arizona, appeared at a bond hearing on July 12, 2023, where Judge Daniel Guerin set his bond at $5 million with 10% to apply. He is charged with three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault (Class X Felony), three counts of Criminal Sexual Assault (Class 1 Felony), one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 4 Felony).
It is alleged that on November 25, 2001, the victim was alone in her apartment when she awoke to the accused standing in her bedroom. He pushed the victim down on the bed, put his hand over her mouth, struck her multiple times and then sexually assaulted her. He then fled the apartment at which time the victim immediately contacted the West Chicago Police Department. The accused allegedly lived in the West Chicago/Warrenville area at the time of the assault.
In late 2022, the West Chicago Police Department learned of a DNA hit from the sexual assault kit collected from the incident. DNA swabs recovered from the victim following the assault were allegedly found to be consistent with the accused’s DNA, which was submitted after he was detained for illegal re-entry into the United States.
“The identification of a man suspected in a more than two-decade-old sexual assault sends the message that in DuPage County, we will never give up on a case or a victim,” Berlin said. “While a case this old may have gone cold, it remained active, and I commend the West Chicago Police Department for their efforts that allowed us to charge Mr. Gomez with the sexual assault of a defenseless woman.”
The accused has been in federal custody since his arrest on the illegal re-entry charges last November. He was transferred to the DuPage County Jail last week where he currently remains. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 16, 2023, for status in front of Judge Guerin.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the West Chicago Police Department at (630) 293-2222.
