PRESCOTT, Ariz. — The Riverside Police Department, with the assistance of multiple Valley police departments and sheriff's offices, arrested a man in Prescott for the alleged rape of five people in the city of Riverside, California.
Chino Valley resident Darin Cooke, 50, was arrested after his DNA reportedly matched the DNA profile for the crimes, police said.
The crimes, which took place in Riverside between 1996 and 1998 and in Corona in 2007, resulted in a total of six victims, police said. Five of the victims were forcibly raped at knifepoint or gunpoint.
A link to the press conference announcing the arrest can be found here.
DNA evidence collected from the 2007 crime scene in Corona resulted in an arrest warrant being issued for a "John Doe," police said.
In 2019, Corona police began looking into several sexual assault cold cases and contacted the Riverside Police Department about its unsolved cases and discovered that the DNA of the crime scenes matched.
As the case became a joint case between the two departments, the FBI Los Angeles Forensic Genetic Genealogy Team reported that the "John Doe" DNA profile matched that of Cooke's, police said.
More DNA of Cooke's was collected after Chino Valley residence was searched. That DNA reportedly matched the DNA profile of the "John Doe."
Cooke has been charged with multiple counts, including forcible rape, assault, and kidnapping.
There is no indication of crimes involving Cooke taking place in Yavapai County, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said.
The investigation is ongoing as police continue to follow up on any other unfiled or unsolved crimes that match the same DNA profile, police said.
Anyone with more information relating to this case or a related case were asked to call Supervising DA Investigator Ruan Bodmer at 951-955-5400.
This is a developing story. Tune into 12 News for the latest details.
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