A Clearwater man was arrested on Thursday when Cold Case detectives matched his DNA to two rape cases that happened in St. Petersburg in 1999 and 2001.
St. Pete Police arrested Terry Dewayne White, 49, just after 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at his home in Clearwater.
The first crime was committed May 2, 1999. A 22-year-old woman was driving near MLK Street S. and Jasmine Way when her car broke down shortly after midnight. A man stopped to help her, and instead took her to another location and raped her.
The second crime was committed on July 26, 2001. At 5 a.m., a 21-year-old woman was walking in the area of the 3300 block of 1st Avenue South, when a man grabbed her and forced her into his vehicle. He then took her to another location and raped her.
The DNA profiles in the 1999 and 2001 cases matched. Just recently, they also matched DNA that White provided in an unrelated investigation by another agency.
White is charged with two counts sexual battery (two separate sex acts) in the 1999 case, as well as one count sexual battery and one count kidnapping in the 2001 case.
Detectives are investigating whether White may be linked to cases in other jurisdictions.
