DNA on Covid face mask leads to arrest of Chicago burglary suspect
Department said covering was left behind at burgled home
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A Chicago man had been apprehended by the city’s police department after his DNA was found on a face mask he had thrown away.
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) said on Saturday that it was able to trace the man through DNA analysis of a face mask found at the scene of a burglary.
The man, who has not been named, was suspected of carrying out a burglary at an address just north of downtown Chicago earlier this year.
The victim told Chicago’s police department that she returned from a holiday to find her basement door had been damaged and forced open.
The 43-year-old woman accused the suspect of raiding her jewellery box, amid other items.
As NBC Chicago reported on Saturday, the suspect was able to leave the scene of the crime, and an investigation into the burglary followed.
The incident occurred at a home on the 5300 block of North Wayne Avenue, in Chicago.
The police department said it detained the individual, although no additional information was available.
While DNA analysis is frequently involved in crime solving, the involvement of a face mask is a relatively new phenomenon.