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DNA tests lead police to 1992 rape suspect

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sexual assault kits initially tested in 1992 and completed in 2018, as part of a federal grant, led police to a suspect accused of sexually assaulting two victims in Charlotte.

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested and charged Antwan Kirkland, 45, Wednesday.

On May 30, 1992, two victims -- a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old -- were leaving the Charlotte area when two men asked for directions. The men got into the vehicle and told the victims to drive them to a location, where they robbed and sexually assaulted them at gunpoint.

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The victims were treated at Carolinas Medical Center, where the sexual assault kits were administered. The kits were later tested again.

Kirkland was taken to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and charged with two counts of first-degree rape, four counts of first-degree sex offense, two counts of first-degree kidnapping and two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon.