February 23, 2011 - Investigators in the Houston Police Department's Special Crimes Division and Crime Lab today announced the arrests of two suspects charged in separate sexual assault cases.

Marlon Jovel Hernandez (H/m, DOB: 5-31-87) is charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault in the 351st State District Court. He is charged and has confessed to two sexual assaults that took place in the 9300 block of Town Park.

Mariano Jimmy Soto, Jr. (H/m, DOB: 6-28-81) is charged with aggravated sexual assault in the 338th State District Court. He is charged in a sexual assault of a female that occurred on June 11, 2010 at Airline Drive near the 610 North Loop.

Both suspects were successfully linked to the cases through testing of DNA evidence by the HPD Crime Lab. Photos of Soto and Hernandez are attached to this news release.

Suspect Hernandez was linked to two sexual assaults via DNA evidence as a result of the victims' rape kits. He is accused of breaking into his victims' apartments and sexually assaulting them. The first assault took place on October 16, 2010 and the second on November 18, 2010, at the same apartment complex on Town Park.

Suspect Soto is accused of picking up his victim and offering her a ride. He then drove the victim to a second location where he sexually assaulted her. He then drove her to a third location and forced her out of the vehicle. He was later linked to the crime through DNA testing of the victim's rape kit.