A 66-year-old man was taken into custody in Crystal City on June 17 after Kentucky detectives say DNA linked him to a 1990 sexual assault in Hardin County. The arrest came after a Hardin County grand jury indictment, and officials say the suspect is now awaiting extradition to Kentucky, with Texas Rangers assisting local authorities in the arrest.
The Texas Rangers aren’t just solving cases in Texas https://x.com/i/status/2072133088834928966
— TxDPS - South Texas Region (@TxDPS_SouthTX) July 1, 2026
Kentucky detectives and Texas Rangers teamed up to make the arrest
Detectives with Kentucky State Police Post 4 say the break came after years of cold-case work and recent DNA retesting, when a CODIS hit in May identified the suspect. “I’ve been working cases that are older than I am,” Detective Casey Keown said of the investigation, according to Kentucky State Police.
After the DNA match and the Hardin County grand jury indictment, Kentucky detectives traveled to Crystal City. With help from the Texas Rangers Division Company D and the Zavala County Sheriff's Office, they took the man into custody.
The Hardin County grand jury returned indictments on June 11 charging the suspect with first degree rape, first degree sodomy and first degree burglary. Authorities say the man, identified by state police as Alberto Campirano, 66, had been convicted in an unrelated Texas sex crime in 2014. That earlier conviction allowed investigators to retest DNA evidence and make the match, as reported by WKYT. Officials say the suspect is awaiting extradition to Kentucky.
Federal grants and new testing reopened old files
Officials say the Kentucky State Police Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) team began re-examining cold files in 2022, and federal grant funding helped pay for expanded DNA testing that produced the CODIS hit. The KSP press release notes that more than $172,000 in recent federal funding helped the effort and that the SAKI program has secured millions for prosecutions and testing, according to Kentucky State Police. Detectives called the result a win for victims and for multiagency cooperation.
Arrest fits a wider cross-jurisdiction pattern
The Texas Department of Public Safety South Texas region highlighted the Rangers’ role in recent out-of-state arrests in a social post, noting the division’s growing involvement in locating violent fugitives across the country. Law enforcement agencies nationwide have pointed to interagency manhunts and federal partnerships as key tools. For example, a recent U.S. Marshals Service operation led to the capture of a Texas fugitive in remote Oregon, showing how agencies are coordinating across state lines, according to TxDPS - South Texas Region and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Legal notes
Per local reporting, the indictments carry felony counts that could mean lengthy prison terms if the defendant is convicted. The Hardin County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office presented the charges to the grand jury on June 11, according to WKYT. Court dates and extradition timing were not immediately available, and the suspect remains in custody in Texas pending transfer.
Investigators said the case underscores the payoff from retesting old evidence and multiagency partnerships that cross state lines. Kentucky and Texas officials say they will continue coordinating as the case moves toward extradition and potential prosecution.
