Suspect in 2003 rapes arrested in New Jersey
By Catie Foertsch Community Reporter

Marcelo Mota

Region - Four years ago, two violent home invasions and rapes in Westborough and a home invasion and assault in Hopkinton triggered a massive police hunt to find the criminal, but a suspect was never apprehended. Now, a dramatic series of events has led to the arrest in New Jersey of Marcelo Mota, 28, for those crimes and potentially for similar crimes in New Jersey.

At a press conference at the Hopkinton Police Station July 16, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said the victims of the Westborough and Hopkinton attacks were "relieved and happy an arrest has been made, and are ready to testify."

The crimes During August 2003, three violent crimes were investigated by police. On Aug. 6, a man broke into a home at the at Windsor Ridge apartment complex in Westborough and raped a 24-year-old woman at gunpoint. On Aug. 13, a man broke into a condo in the Walker Meadow complex in Westborough, threatened a 58-year-old woman with a knife, and raped her. On Aug. 14, a man broke into a home at the Indian Brook townhouse complex in Hopkinton and assaulted a 41-year-old female with a knife.

A sketch of the rapist that was created based on victim descriptions was posted in newspapers and on a Route 9 billboard in Westborough. A fingerprint found at the Hopkinton crime site was sent to the nationwide database, and DNA analysis from evidence collected from the rape victims was sent to the national database as well.

August 2003 was "a real bad time for the community," Westborough Police Chief Alan Gordon said, because police didn't know where the rapist was or whether he would strike again.

The arrest

In early July of this year, the Massachusetts State Police crime lab was notified that the Hopkinton fingerprint allegedly matched Mota's fingerprint. Mota's address at the time was in Delran, N.J. On July 13, Hopkinton police were granted a warrant for Mota's arrest, and late that evening, Mota was arrested outside a New Jersey restaurant.

At the July 16 press conference, Middlesex County District Attorney Gerard Leone said New Jersey police were still investigating the link between Mota and three similar crimes there in the past year and a half. DNA evidence gathered from the Westborough rapes matched DNA from the New Jersey crimes, Leone said, although DNA analysis on a sample from Mota has not yet been completed.

According to Leone, Mota's arrest for the Hopkinton crime "is consistent with what we know about where he was" at the time of the crime.

During 2003, Mota ran a commercial cleaning business in Framingham, and visited businesses at night. Mota did not do residential work, and did not have any connection with the victims.

"None of them know him, and he had no access to their houses," Leone said.

Gordon said the Westborough victims were "very relieved" at Mota's arrest, as it brings closure to the crimes.

Leone credited the Westborough and Hopkinton police departments, the State Police and the State Police crime lab for diligent work that led to Mota's arrest.

While New Jersey police are still developing a case against Mota for the crimes there, the Middlesex and Worcester district attorneys' offices will file additional warrants against Mota so that "no matter what happens in New Jersey, he will not be released," Leone said.