KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A Florida man has been arrested after Kalamazoo County's Sexual Assault Investigation Initiative (SAKI) Team identified him as a suspect in a 2010 sexual assault cold case.
According to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, detectives arrested 32-year-old Cameron James Alvarez in Port St. Lucie on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct on Tuesday.
The sheriff’s office says their detectives worked together with the Kalamazoo County SAKI team to arrest Alvarez.
Alvarez is in custody waiting to be extradited to Michigan.
Kalamazoo County's Sexual Assault Investigation Initiative Team is one among several in the state going through a backlog of assault test kits to see if convictions can be pursued in cases where they were previously abandoned. The team is implementing a fresh, more holistic approach to investigating sexual assaults, and empowering survivors.
Back in 2016, Michigan State Police received grants to fund the inventory and testing of more than 3,000 previously untested sexual assault forensic evidence kits from across the state, with nearly 180 of the kits being from Kalamazoo County.
You can find out more about the work that Kalamazoo County's SAKI team does at their webpage.
Sexual Assault Survivor Resources in Michigan
- National Sex Assault Online Hotline
- Your Rights & Important Legal Information
- What to Know About Sex Assault Kits
Or you can call (800) 656-4673 to speak with someone immediately.
