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Suspect Arrested in Texas in 1994–2008 Kidnappings and Sexual Assaults Spanning California and Texas

DNA testing funded by grants led investigators to the suspect.

Overview

  • Berkeley police say Lashay Durisseau, 56, was taken into custody Tuesday near his home in Richmond, Texas, without incident.
  • Authorities link at least seven victims across four jurisdictions that include Berkeley and Oakland in California and Richmond and Beaumont in Texas.
  • Testing of a 2002 Berkeley rape kit in 2015 produced a case-to-case DNA match that connected five additional cases.
  • Further cold-case work funded by a California Department of Justice grant in 2020–2021 expanded the investigation and, with FBI comparison testing, led to an arrest warrant.
  • A local outlet reports multiple counts including forcible rape and forced oral copulation with special allegations, while formal charging decisions and the order of prosecutions across states remain pending.