Antoine Devon Pettis: Man Charged With Brutal Rape Of 101 Year-Old Woman

Antoine Devon Pettis, (20) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been charged with the brutal rape of a 101 year-old woman.

Police say that after a careful investigation, Devon Pettis was targeted as a suspect due to DNA evidence, according to NBC. Reports state that Pettis originally intended to just commit robbery, but then decided once he was inside to sexually assault a 101-year-old woman. Pettis has been charged with burglary, aggravated battery, and second-degree sexual assault.

According to the criminal complaint, the 101 year-0ld woman went to bed and woke up early in the morning on September 1 to a strange sound. The woman thought the the sound was coming from outside the house so she closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. A short time later, according to WISN, the elderly woman heard a noise and realized that someone was in her bedroom.

The 101-year-old woman was slapped several times by the intruder before he raped her.

As the room was dark at the time, and the shock and horror of what was happening set in, the woman said she had no idea what her attacker looked like. The woman was taken to the hospital, and doctors told authorities that the woman had injuries consistent with sexual assault. DNA evidence was acquired and sent to the state crime lab. Authorities say that the case was cracked through a familial DNA – DNA from a family member that was already in the state crime lab database. (On a side note, experts say that this is only the second time in history that family related DNA samples have helped solve a case.)

The DNA evidence led Milwaukee Police investigators straight to Antoine Devon Pettis.

Pettis had previously been identified as a potential suspect on November 13th. When the DNA familial evidence came back from the state crime lab, suggesting Pettis, his DNA was matched against the crime scene DNA, and there was a perfect match.

When confronted with the DNA evidence, Antoine Devon Pettis cracked. He admitted to the assault, saying he intended to break into the 101 year-old woman’s home and steal property. Pettis said that he never planned to commit the rape.

Pettis faces up to 55 years in prison if he is convicted on the three charges of burglary, aggravated assault, and second degree sexual assault.

What do you think? Is 55 years in prison a steep enough sentence for a man convicted of raping a 101 year old woman?

[Image via WMTV]