Ernesto Mercado, a 54-year-old man, has been arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. in connection with five home-invasion sexual assaults that occurred between 2008 and 2012 in the Georgetown neighborhood. His DNA also connected him to a sixth attack in Maryland in 2009. Mercado had been known as the “Georgetown Cuddler,” a nickname that was criticized for downplaying the seriousness of the crimes. Detective Alexander Mac Bean condemned the term and emphasized that Mercado’s intent was to rape his victims.
Investigators used DNA collected from the victims’ sexual assault forensic exams to identify Mercado. Despite his lack of a criminal history, genetic genealogy techniques were used to determine his identity. The crimes Mercado is charged with involved breaking into young women’s homes late at night or just before dawn. He utilized various methods to gain entry, such as cutting window screens and smashing glass doors. Items were not stolen during the assaults, leading investigators to focus on Mercado as a suspect.
After identifying Mercado, investigators attempted to obtain his DNA surreptitiously. They installed a GPS tracker on his car and a pole camera near his residence in Arlington, Virginia, but ultimately needed to obtain a search warrant to perform a cheek swab. This sample was compared to a semen sample collected from one of the victims, confirming a match. Mercado graduated from the University of Maryland in 1995 and lived in College Park from 2002 to 2007, living about a mile from one of the victims. He has resided in Arlington since 2012.
Mercado has been charged with eight counts of felony sexual abuse and could face life in prison if convicted of sexual offenses related to two different victims. Investigators believe that Mercado may be connected to additional crimes, including other home-invasion sexual assaults, burglaries, and voyeurism in the Georgetown and College Park areas from at least 2006 to 2012. They are continuing to investigate unsolved crimes in these areas and are urging any victims or individuals with information to come forward.
The use of genetic genealogy techniques helped break open this cold case and led to Mercado’s arrest. Authorities are working to gather more information about additional crimes Mercado may have committed in order to seek justice for all victims. Mercado is being held without bond, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 10. The investigative work done in this case highlights the importance of utilizing DNA technology and collaborative efforts to solve serious crimes and bring perpetrators to justice.
