A Columbia man received a 20-year prison sentence Monday after a conviction for first-degree rape.
Authorities charged 55-year-old Victor Garza in connection with an April 2023 incident.
According to the probable cause statement, the victim told investigators they woke up to a male stranger inside their apartment and said they were assaulted while intoxicated. Court documents also stated the victim suffered several injuries, including a black eye and multiple bruises.
A Boone County Sheriff’s deputy said the victim later underwent a forensic examination at a hospital, where investigators developed a male DNA profile.
The probable cause statement said lab results identified the DNA as belonging to Victor Garza, and the profile matched the physical description the victim provided.
Deputies interviewed Garza in October 2024 and collected buccal swabs, which later matched the earlier DNA profile.
A Boone County jury indicted Garza on a first-degree rape charge in January 2025.
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