Guatemalan man convicted of rape after evidence kit tested decades later

A man was convicted of rape Thursday in connection to a cold case dating back more than three decades, according to a statement from the Bristol County District Attorney. 

Eduardo Mendez of Guatemala, 51, was convicted of aggravated rape after a jury trial at Fall River Superior Court, according to officials.  

On June 9, 1994, in Attleboro, the victim, who was 36 years old at the time, was walking home when a group of men approached her from behind, according to the DA. 

Officials said she was dragged into a nearby apartment hallway and raped by the defendant. After the men fled the scene, a 14-year-old passerby heard the victim’s screams and brought her to the Attleboro police station, according to the DA.

She was then taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where an evidence collection kit was performed. That kit wasn’t tested for decades, according to the DA.

In 2019, the kit was sent to the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory for testing, and the tests revealed male DNA in the sperm cells. The sperm cells were a match for the defendant, according to officials.

Mendez will be sentenced on Monday.

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