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Vernon Police make arrest in sexual assault cold cases

Several sexual assaults that were committed in Manchester and Vernon were linked by DNA

VERNON, Conn — A Manchester firefighter was arrested as a part of solving a series of violent sexual assault cold cases.

47-year-old Angelo Alleano is being charged with 4 counts of sexual assault and three counts of burglary

Vernon and Manchester police say although it’s been nearly 2- decades since the first sexual assault incident took place, all the way back in 2001, they say they’ve never stopped trying to solve the case.

According to a Mancherster and Vernon police in a press release this past Wednesday police arrested Alleano.

Alleano is being charged under a “John Doe” warrant signed in 2010 for a series of four sexual assaults in Manchester and Vernon. The arrest was the product of a joint investigation between Manchester and Vernon Police along with the State of Connecticut Division of Scientific Services, Forensic Biology and DNA section, and the Tolland and Hartford State’s Attorneys.

Between 2001 and 2008, Manchester and Vernon Police investigated a series of residential burglaries where the suspect sexually assaulted his victims. Police believed the four reported incidents are related and committed by the same suspect. Because the identity of the suspect was unknown, police applied for a “John Doe” warrant that was signed in 2010 which identifies the suspect based on forensic evidence left at the scenes. Details of the incidents are included in the court affidavit.

Police say it was after Alleano was arrested on unrelated charges where a break in the case happened.

LT. William Meir with the Vernon Police Department said, “He came here in relation to a domestic violence incident that is unrelated to the 4 sexual assaults, completely unrelated it was a separate matter he was then later taken into custody on the sexual assault charges.”

According to the arrest warrant, police laid out each incident since 2001 in Manchester where police say Alleano raped an 87-year old woman.

In the arrest report, gruesome details emerged from the incident.

The 1st victim stated that a man with dark hair and a mustache came into her home and put a pillow from a nearby couch over her face and said “Don’t scream, don’t scream” and left after committing the assault.

Years later, two similar incidents took place after two women- one being 57-years-old and the other 37-years old year were sexually assaulted in 2004 and 2007.

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The last incident was in Vernon where a 61-year-old woman was also assaulted.

Police say each incident had something in common.

“The same MO- burglary, and violent sexual assault,” said Lt. Ryan Shea from the Manchester Police Department.

Investigators say they recently used new ancestry technology to attempt to identify the “John Doe” who committed these sexual assaults. Police worked with the State of Connecticut Forensic Lab and a genealogy service to analyze the evidence.

Based on this work, police have identified and charged Alleano as the person allegedly responsible for these crimes.

Kristin Sasinouski who is the Deputy Director CT forensics and biology lab said, “Through extensive and thorough research of records Bode technology developed a family tree to help drive the investigation. Detectives were then able to use that tree to obtain a known sample from a newly developed individual of interest.”

Police say the case is still open and encourage anyone with information to contact Vernon or Manchester police departments, but to the public, Vernon police say this case proves that officials are always working.

“We do not stop working on these cases we will use available scientific evidence including new breakthroughs and new technologies to re-examine old cases and to ensure we bring people to justice where appropriate,” said Lt. Meir.

Alleano is being held on a 5- million dollar bond and is expecting to appear before a judge in Hartford Friday morning.

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