THE WOMAN SAID AN UNKNOWN BLACK MAN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND ROBBED HER AT KNIFEPOINT

La Marque police identify suspect in 1999 cold case

 

By Briana Zamora-Nipper

 

Click2Houston

July 27, 2023 

 

La Marque police make arrest in 'heinous' 1999 abduction

 

La Marque Police said Thursday that a suspect was arrested in connection with a 1999 cold case “that has haunted its victim for far too long.”

The suspect, Preston Alvin Chenier, is charged with aggravated sexual assault. He was taken into custody Wednesday without incident.

“The relentless efforts of our dedicated detectives, in collaboration with cutting-edge forensic experts and the unwavering support of the law enforcement community, have finally led to a major development in this previously unsolvable case,” La Marque police said in a statement.

On Dec. 4, 1999, at approximately 2:30 a.m., police were dispatched to the 1000 block of FM 1764 on a report a woman without clothes was attempting to flag down drivers.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the woman told police that she had been at a lounge with her husband. After a few drinks, the couple left the establishment and began driving down FM 1764. During an argument, the woman exited the vehicle and began walking back to the lounge. After her husband failed to get her back into the vehicle, he drove away.

While she was walking, a truck pulled up next to her. The woman said an unknown Black male got out of the passenger side of the vehicle and forced her to the floor of the truck. She stated the man, who had a knife, told her to take off her clothes. Impatient, he took her clothes off her himself and pocketed a ring and watch. The passenger and driver proceeded to sexually assault her.

During the assault, the passenger took her ATM card and one of the men cut her hair off with a knife.

The pair forced the woman into a vehicle and drove to a nearby ATM, where they withdrew $320 from the woman’s account. They resumed driving and, at some point, they threw her out of the car and into a ditch. The woman told investigators she walked down the road nude until she was picked up.

The victim completed a sexual assault kit, which was submitted as evidence.

The case remained unsolved for years.

During a review of the case file, a detective observed a DNA report from the Texas Department of Public Safety dated Jan 26, 2012, showing a CODIS hit on a piece of evidence related to the sexual assault kit -- there was a sperm cell fraction match from the vaginal swab to DNA collected from an arrest in Louisiana. The report detailed that the DNA belonged to Chenier.

“This 1999 case shook our community to its core, leaving behind a heartbroken victim and concerned citizens seeking answers,” La Marque police said in the statement. “Over the years, the police department has never wavered in its commitment to finding the truth and holding the responsible party accountable for their actions. Today, we take a significant step forward in delivering justice to those affected by this heinous crime.”