A Jerusalem resident was arrested for the rape of a tourist in 2009, after DNA collected from a COVID mask, in a separate case, indicated family relations, police said on Thursday.
The 30-year-old suspect was arrested earlier this week, but the alleged rape took place when he was a teenager, his name therefore, cannot be made public.
An American tourist visiting Israel to take part in a professional seminar In early 2009, claimed she was the victim of a rape and sought medical treatment in a Jerusalem Hospital.
She told investigators that a teenager offered to help her carry a musical instrument and then led her to a dark parking lot adjacent to a public park, hit her in the head, and raped her.
He then fled the scene, and the victim was evacuated to hospital.
The police investigated the crime but found no evidence that could lead them to make an arrest.
A significant development in the caser occurred recently, thanks to new evidence found, including a COVID mask containing DNA.
The forensic evidence showed that a man arrested by the police for a separate crime, was related to the suspect in the 2009 rape case, leading investigators to the alleged rapist.
Police notified the victim of the 2009 rape of developments and with the participation of the police foreign affairs department and the investigation and intelligence department and their cooperation with counterparts abroad, the woman was brought to Israel earlier this week, to assisting the investigation.
After her arrival, the police was able to make an arrest and the Jerusalem district attorney's office is expected to file charges against the suspect.