PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — DNA from a mask linked a 21-year-old Vancouver man to 2 recent burglaries and sexual assaults of sleeping women, Vancouver police said.
Benjamin Jerome T. White is accused of two “sexually motivated” burglaries at apartments in the early hours of June 3 and 4. A man entered a woman’s apartment on Southeast Eastridge Drive through an unlocked door — and then groped her while she was sleeping.
A second similar incident happened less than 24 hours later on Southeast 139th Avenue. Once again, an unknown man entered a woman’s apartment through an unlocked door, then exposed himself and groped the victim.
The victim and another woman in the apartment fought him off and he fled the scene. But one of the women grabbed the mask he was wearing. DNA testing at the the Washington State Crime Lab connected the mask to White.
He is now in the Clark County Jail on 2 counts of burglary and 3 counts of indecent liberties.