Roberto Noyola-Espinal
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin announced last week that Roberto Noyola-Espinal, 41, of Texas, was found guilty of forcing his way into a woman’s home and sexually assaulting her in 1999.
Judge Robert Miller delivered his verdict in the case following a four-day-long bench trial. In all, Miller found Noyola-Espinal guilty of six counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault, Class X Felonies and one count of Home Invasion, also a Class X Felony.
On February 7, 1999, Noyola-Espinal approached the then 63-year-old victim’s apartment in Lisle and knocked on her patio door. Thinking it was a friend of hers, the woman began to open the door. Once she realized she did not know the person knocking on the door, the woman attempted to close the door. Noyola-Espinal forced the door open however, and entered the apartment.
Once inside the apartment, Noyola-Espinal physically and sexually assaulted the woman. After Noyola-Espinal left, the victim then went to her neighbor’s home and called the police.
Following an investigation into the incident led by the Lisle Police Department, a DNA profile of the suspect was entered into the federal Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
The investigation of the assault continued throughout the years.
In October, 2013, a CODIS hit on the DNA collected at the scene of the crime implicated Noyola-Espinal.
On February 27, 2014, Noyola-Espinal was extradited from his home in Texas, where he had fled after committing the assault, and returned to DuPage County to face the charges.
“Seventeen years ago, Roberto Noyola-Espinal forced his way in to his victim’s home where he proceeded to commit unspeakable acts against an unsuspecting, innocent woman,” Berlin said. “While justice may have been a long time coming, today Mr. Noyola-Espinal learned that he will be held responsible for the horrendous acts he committed so many years ago. I would like to commend the men and women of the Lisle Police Department for their persistence and dedication in this case. They never gave up and it is because of their outstanding work Mr. Noyola-Espinal is looking at a very long time behind bars. I would also like to thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Jennifer Lindt and Mike Fisher for their work in holding Mr. Noyola-Espinal responsible for his actions.”
Noyola-Espinal’s next court appearance is June 15 for sentencing. He faces a penalty of between 24 to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.