BAYTOWN – The man accused of sexually assaulting a 50-year-old woman while she was walking on a trail has been arrested and charged, according to the Baytown Police Department.
Officers said Wildred Smith, 27, was arrested during a traffic stop on Sept. 14 for having outstanding warrants in Harris County for felon in possession of a firearm and assault family violence.
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During the arrest, officers said they notice Smith resembled the sketch of a man who was wanted for sexually assaulting a woman during broad daylight at a park in Baytown on Sept. 1 and alerted detectives.
Detectives interviewed Smith, during which they say he denied having any involvement in the sexual assault of the woman. Investigators said Smith then voluntarily provided a sample of his DNA to detectives for comparison to the DNA recovered at the crime scene.
Detectives were later able to confirm through the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences that Smith’s DNA did match the DNA that was recovered at the crime scene.
Smith was also positively identified through a photo lineup as being the person who committed the sexual assault.
Smith has since been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of aggravated robbery.
“The Baytown Police Department has taken a definitive stance against violent crime in our community. We have been committed to relentlessly pursuing justice, fully investigating violent crimes, identifying and locating violent offenders, and arresting and prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law no matter where they flee.,” Chief of Police, John Stringer said. “The men and women of the Baytown Police Department have been actively working this case to bring the suspect to justice and closure to the victim. This is another example of the professional police work that BPD officers at all levels do on a daily basis. The Command Staff of the Baytown Police Department recognizes the countless hours of teamwork that went into this case. We are proud of our officers. We appreciate the cooperation of our media partners in getting information and suspect descriptions to our citizens.”