NEW: Arlington man charged with sexual assault in Georgetown cold case

A 54-year-old Arlington man has been arrested and charged with five sex offenses in connection with the so-called “Georgetown Cuddler” case.

Federal prosecutors and D.C. police today announced the arrest, a series of incidents that occurred more than a decade ago. Prosecutors say Ernesto Mercado is the man who broke into several homes in the Georgetown neighborhood between 2008 and 2012 and sexually assaulted women while they slept.

The cold case was solved through the persistent search for DNA evidence, prosecutors said, adding that there may be other victims.

“In court documents, police said they suspected Mercado in a series of unsolved cases of voyeurism, burglary and other crimes throughout the region during that period, although he has not been charged with those crimes,” the Washington Post reported. According to NBC 4, Mercado is expected to be charged in a sixth case in College Park, Maryland.

Public records show Mercado lived in a home in the Barcroft neighborhood of Arlington, south of Route 50. Before police and crime scene personnel executed a search warrant at the apartment yesterday, they stopped at a nearby church, according to police radio traffic.

Arlington County Police assisted in the investigation, according to a news release. The press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia can be found below.

United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith today announced the arrest of 54-year-old Ernesto Mercado of Arlington, Virginia, in connection with five sex crimes that occurred between 2008 and 2008 in the area of Georgetown in the District of Columbia in 2012. The arrest is the culmination of the work of the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, a joint effort between MPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with support from other law enforcement partners, to reinvestigate, solve and solve previously unsolved sexual assault cases to bring charges.

Mercado was arrested last night and is charged with three counts of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances and five counts of second-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances in connection with five previously unsolved, forensically related domestic rape cases. He appeared today in Superior Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Heide L. Herrmann ordered the defendant to be detained pending a preliminary hearing on October 10, 2024.

Participating in today’s announcement were U.S. Marshal Robert Dixon of the DC Superior Court and Acting FBI Special Agent David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber ​​Division.

The attacks occurred in the Georgetown area of ​​northwest Washington, D.C. According to the complaint, evidence reviews in all five cases revealed the same unknown male DNA profile, which also matched a DNA profile for a separate crime that occurred in close proximity to the The University of Washington Maryland campus occurred in College Park, Maryland.

According to the complaint, during several attacks, the complainants were asleep when Mercado began the attack. They reported being woken up by a stranger who was sexually assaulting them. After the victims woke up, the attacker fled.

“Thanks to DNA evidence from the rape kits of courageous survivors, improvements in DNA technology, and the tireless efforts of our law enforcement partners and our prosecutors, we were able to connect these six rapes,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Once we had a DNA profile of the suspect, the team used all the forensic tools at their disposal, as well as old-fashioned detective work, to identify the person behind that DNA profile. This hard work led to the arrest of Ernesto Mercado yesterday. This case and the Cold Case Initiative itself are proof that police officers, prosecutors and lawyers never stop advocating for victims.”

“For 16 years, our Sexual Assault Unit detectives have continued to pursue leads and connect cases – looking for patterns, evidence and a suspect,” said Chief Pamela A. Smith. “We know people often want answers in cases right away, but our investigators have never given up, and today’s announcement is a testament to their tireless commitment to bringing justice to victims.”

“As yesterday’s arrest demonstrates, advances in technology and collaboration between law enforcement partners can lead to breakthroughs in cases that previously went unsolved,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “The FBI’s Washington and Baltimore field offices reaffirm our commitment to justice for victims of heinous crimes, no matter how much time passes. We thank our federal and local partners who contributed to this investigation and those who work with us every day to keep our communities safe.”

The incidents charged include: a sexual assault on June 26, 2008; a sexual assault on July 10, 2009; a sexual assault on February 28, 2010; a sexual assault on August 29, 2010; and a sexual assault on August 31, 2012, all in the District of Columbia. The defendant was linked to the attacks through DNA testing and other investigative tools.

This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone who has been a victim of a sexual assault or has information about these or other cases, please call MPD at 202-727-9099 or text 50411. You can remain anonymous.

This case is being investigated by the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, a collaboration between the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Substantial assistance is provided by the U.S. Marshal’s Service Superior Court Unit, the FBI Investigative Genetic Genealogy Team, the FBI Baltimore and Washington field offices, the DC Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Arlington County Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Platt and Amy Zubrensky.