An 84-year-old in-home caregiver in Port Angeles has been sentenced after investigators say DNA evidence tied him directly to the rape of a client he was hired to care for. Donald Breazeale was sentenced in Clallam County Superior Court following a case that began when his client reported being sexually assaulted by him.
The case traces back to June 27, 2024, when the victim went to the Port Angeles Police Department with a case manager to report the assault, according to Olympic Herald. The victim also underwent a sexual assault examination at Olympic Medical Center, where medical personnel collected an evidence kit, the outlet reported. KIRO 7 reported that the investigation began specifically after the victim reported being sexually assaulted by Breazeale, who was employed as the victim's caregiver.
DNA Evidence Pointed to the Caregiver
Investigators matched DNA recovered from the evidence kit directly to Breazeale, per KIRO 7's reporting. Washington State Patrol laboratory testing provided what the same outlet described as very strong support that he contributed to a DNA profile recovered from the victim's examination kit, per the Olympic Herald's account of the lab findings.
The plea and the exact sentence are described differently across the two outlets' reporting. KIRO 7 reported that Breazeale pleaded guilty to third-degree rape and second-degree assault as part of a plea deal and was sentenced to 12 months in custody for assaulting a vulnerable adult in his care. The Olympic Herald, however, reported that Breazeale entered an Alford plea on September 3, acknowledging a substantial likelihood of conviction without admitting guilt, and that he was sentenced on October 15 to 12 months and one day for rape and 12 months for assault, served concurrently.
Judge Imposes Years of Supervision and Restrictions
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Stanley imposed the sentence following an agreed recommendation from prosecutors and the defense, the Olympic Herald reported. Breazeale will also serve three years of community custody under Department of Corrections supervision, the outlet noted — a term consistent with Washington's sentencing statute, which requires courts to impose three years of community custody for listed sex offenses not sentenced under a separate provision, according to state law.
The judgment requires Breazeale to obtain a sex-offender evaluation, follow recommended treatment, comply with sex-offender registration requirements, and surrender his caretaker credentials to the state Department of Health, per the same account. His community custody conditions also bar him from working or volunteering to care for unrelated dependent people while under supervision. Judge Stanley additionally prohibited any contact with the victim through October 15, 2036, the Olympic Herald reported.
What Washington's Rape Statute Covers
Under Washington law, a person is guilty of rape in the third degree when, under circumstances not constituting rape in the first or second degree, the person engages in sexual intercourse with another person, according to the state statute. Washington law separately defines sexual, mental and physical abuse, abandonment, neglect, self-neglect and financial exploitation involving vulnerable adults, according to the state Department of Social and Health Services, which oversees protections for people relying on in-home care.
