Hennepin County Attorney’s Office charges Minneapolis man for 2012 and 2022 sexual assaults after DNA links both cases, additional investigation

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office filed criminal complaints against Angel Fernandez Morocho, 46, in connection with two sexual assaults: one in 2012, and another in 2022.

Charges in 2012 case:

Attempted third-degree criminal sexual conduct
Attempted fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct

Charge in 2022 case:

Third-degree criminal sexual conduct

In 2012, the BCA had promptly tested the sexual assault kit in the Minneapolis case and obtained an unidentified male DNA profile. That case was originally opened for investigation, a photo line-up was generated, but the victim was unable to identify her assailant. No suspects were identified at that time, and the case was inactive pending additional information. In 2023, the BCA determined that the male DNA profile in the 2012 case in Minneapolis matched to a new case: the male DNA profile in a 2022 case out of Golden Valley. The DNA connected the two cases, but the person connected to the DNA remained unidentified.

In 2025, as a part of the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), in partnership with the Minneapolis Police Department, the SAKI team began reviewing DNA hits in cases that fell outside the original timeline covered under the SAKI grant. Based on the DNA evidence provided by the BCA, these two cases were reopened for investigation in 2026. Through the course of an extensive investigation by HCAO’s SAKI investigator, Mr. Fernandez Morocho was identified as a possible suspect. He had vehicles registered to him that fit the descriptions provided by the victims, had “cab driver” listed as his occupation in reports from 2015 and 2018, and matched the descriptions provided by the victims. In collaboration with Golden Valley Police and Minneapolis Police, a search warrant was obtained for Mr. Fernandez Morocho’s DNA and he made incriminating admissions in both offenses.

“The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) helped to clear a massive backlog of untested kits but our office has remained committed to investigating DNA hits outside of the SAKI timeframe,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “Last year, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension provided a list of those DNA hits and our staff has been working incredibly hard to investigate and ensure cases like these do not fall through the gaps. These charges are a testament to this important work and we are ready to move forward with this prosecution.”

Mr. Fernandez Morocho’s next hearing is scheduled for August 12 at 9 a.m.

Case Numbers

27-CR-26-18287 (2012)
27-CR-26-18316 (2022)

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