DNA leads to conviction for sex assaults

A Costa Mesa man who was one of 125 men who voluntarily provided samples of their DNA after two women were sexually assaulted in his apartment complex was convicted of both assaults Thursday, and now faces a life term in state prison.

Jose Fernandez Lopez, 34, was arrested in July 2005 after his DNA was matched with evidence from the sexual assaults of two women inside their homes at Newport Village Apartments on West Baker Street.

Costa Mesa detectives spent four nights in June 2005 canvassing the 276-unit apartment complex, informing women of the incidents and asking men to allow a swab to be taken of their inner cheek cells. Only two of the men refused. Lopez was among the 125 men who agreed to provide the swab.

He was living at the apartment complex when the women were attacked in September 2004 and May 2005 but was in the process of moving to Merced after submitting his DNA when police took him into custody.

The victims – ages 67 and 45 – could not identify Lopez as the attacker. But the DNA evidence helped convince a jury after only an hour of deliberations following a four-day trial, said Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown.

Lopez now faces a 125-years-to-life term in state prison at his sentencing April 20 by Superior Court Judge Richard Toohey.