SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Police Department announced on Tuesday that officers had arrested a man on Monday evening for sexually assaulting an elderly woman in a nursing home.
Police say DNA that investigators collected from the crime scene led them to their suspect, 48-year-old Lusean Arline.
According to SDPD, the 88-year-old victim was in bed inside of her nursing home in Hillcrest on Sunday, Oct. 27. That's when police allege that Arline illegally entered the nursing home and then sexually assaulted the woman in her room. An administrator from Balboa Nursing and Rehab confirms that the assault happened at their center.
According to a statement from SDPD, staff members heard the victim and other patients in the room screaming. By the time staff made it to the victim's room, the suspect was long gone.
SDPD Sex Crimes Unit investigators collected evidence at the scene, including the suspect's DNA. The Crime Lab processed the evidence and identified male DNA, which was uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), matching with Arline.
Police booked Arline into the San Diego County Jail on Front Street. He's facing multiple charges, including violating his parole, rape, burglary and elder abuse.
According to court documents, this isn't Arline's first brush with the law. Arline has a long rap sheet in San Diego County with charges dating back to the late 1990s.
Arline is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Wednesday, Nov. 6. A photo of the suspect was not immediately available on Tuesday.
An administrator from Balboa Nursing and Rehab responded to News 8 in an email on Tuesday evening:
“We are grateful authorities have apprehended a suspect who entered our community illegally and assaulted one of our residents. Our thoughts remain with the resident and the resident’s family, and we will continue to cooperate fully with officials as they investigate and seek justice for this individual. We will continue to stay in close contact with the resident and the resident’s family and provide support and help in any way. We are committed to doing whatever necessary to help ensure the safety of residents, families, staff and visitors to our community at all times. Out of respect for the resident and the resident’s family, as well as the authorities’ investigative process, additional comment at this time would be inappropriate.”