Man accused in violent 2017 St. Pete sexual assault arrested

FOX 13 News Staff
·1 min read
5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Nearly seven years after St. Petersburg police say a woman was violently attacked and sexually assaulted, her accused attacker has been arrested.

Police say David Person, 67, has been arrested in the 2017 case.

According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, on September 14, 2017, Person approached the victim from behind, struck her with a closed fist, knocked her unconscious, and sexually assaulted her.

<div>David Person mugshot courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department.</div>
David Person mugshot courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department.

On April 19, 2024, detectives with the Special Victims Unit got a CODIS, Combined DNA Index System, notification that Person’s DNA from a recent arrest matched the DNA in the system from the 2017 case.

Detectives spent the last few weeks tracking down the victim, who now lives out of state, and locating Person to take him into custody.

Person was arrested and charged with sexual battery, aggravated battery, and false imprisonment.

SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter