Charges: DNA links Eagan man to 2005 stranger rape of Wisconsin college student

An Eagan man is below arrest and charged with raping a university pupil close to a motorbike path in Madison, Wis., practically 20 years in the past.

DNA from the sufferer’s sexual assault package led to the identification of 41-year-old Aidison Yang, based on a felony criticism filed final week in Dane County, Wis., Circuit Court docket charging him with three counts of first-degree sexual assault.

Yang was arrested in Chanhassen on Friday and booked into the Carver County jail, the place he remained Wednesday pending extradition to Wisconsin, jail information present.

Yang lived in Madison on the time of the 2005 assault, based on the costs. Lately, he lived in Lakeville and on St. Paul’s East Aspect earlier than transferring to Eagan.

In line with the Feb. 9 felony criticism, a Madison police detective discovered in September 2021 that there was a match in a nationwide legislation enforcement database that linked the rape suspect’s DNA to Yang.

The criticism doesn’t specify why Yang’s DNA was within the nationwide database, and a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Division of Justice, which helped police examine the assault, stated Wednesday the company couldn’t touch upon the case.

The criticism mentions that Yang in 2020 was convicted in Hennepin County of felony vehicular operation, inflicting substantial bodily hurt whereas inebriated. As a part of Yang’s sentence, he was ordered to submit a DNA pattern, courtroom information present.

“Years could move, however we by no means cease caring about victims and their instances,” Madison police detective Kelly Dougherty stated final week in a Wisconsin DOJ assertion following Yang’s arrest. “Our group labored exhausting to ensure the sufferer on this case felt supported because the investigation gained traction after a brand new lead. Whereas we can not change what occurred, we hope at the moment’s arrest is one other step towards therapeutic.”

It wasn’t recognized Wednesday whether or not Yang has an lawyer.

Assault occurred simply off bike path

A 22-year-old College of Wisconsin-Madison graduate pupil reported to police on Oct. 15, 2005, that she had been sexually assaulted by a stranger simply off a motorbike path within the Atwood neighborhood on town’s east aspect, based on the felony criticism.

After Dougherty discovered of the DNA match, she re-interviewed the lady final 12 months.

The girl informed the detective that she left her dwelling round 8 p.m. to stroll to a espresso store. Whereas on the trail, she observed a person following her. He caught up along with her and with a knife in his hand stated, “You had higher include me,” she informed the detective.

She stated he pulled her off the trail and over to some bushes and stated, “Don’t scream or I’ll kill you.” He put her on the bottom and raped her.

She stated she stored her hand on his hand that was holding the knife as a result of she was afraid she was going to die, the costs say. The person ran away along with her purse.

The girl ran dwelling and instantly reported the assault. Police took her to the hospital, the place a sexual assault nurse examiner carried out an examination to verify for accidents and acquire evidentiary swabs from her physique.

Suspect lived in Madison, then Twin Cities

After the DNA match, Dougherty and different investigators started trying into the place Yang was residing on the time of the assault.

Dougherty discovered that about six months earlier than the assault, Yang, whereas residing in Madison, was charged in Dane County with possession of methamphetamine and carrying a hid weapon. He pleaded responsible to the weapons cost and was sentenced in November 2005.

An agent with the Wisconsin Division of Justice reviewed Yang’s revenue tax information, which confirmed he filed for the years 2006, 2008 and 2009-14, with a Madison deal with. Yang’s revenue tax information confirmed he lived in Lakeville in 2017 and in 2019, and on St. Paul’s East Aspect in 2018, the criticism says.

His first identify was additionally spelled “Addison” in a report.

In Yang’s Hennepin County case, the criticism stated he was driving drunk in Brooklyn Park, ran a cease signal whereas rushing at 60 mph and crashed into the aspect of a automobile. The opposite driver sustained a damaged collarbone and arm.

The criticism additionally stated Yang was convicted of driving whereas impaired in Wisconsin in October 2010.

Yang has one different conviction in Minnesota, for giving a peace officer a false identify after a site visitors cease in Edina in 2021.