On Aug. 8, 2026, 38-year-old Eliseo Garcia-Zunun was apprehended in Hendry County during an ICE Operation. A DNA sample was obtain after the arrest of Garcia-Zunun and sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). At the time of Garcia-Zunun arrest he was identified as an illegal immigrant and transported to California awaiting deportation.

On Feb. 7, 2012, Hendry County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) was notified of a sexual battery after being abducted and held against her will in her residence. The victim reported an unknown male subject grabbed her near her home, throwing the victim to the ground. It was reported that Garcia-Zunun dragged the victim into the residence where she was forcibly raped.

HCSO Detectives responded to the scene and collected several items of evidence; the evidence was sent to the FDLE Lab where it was processed. A DNA profile was obtained and submitted into the National DNA Database. This case went unsolved for 14 years.

On Sept. 16, 2026, FDLE sent notification to HCSO advising the DNA obtained from Garcia-Zunun in August 2026 matched the DNA profile obtained in the 2012 unsolved kidnapping and sexual battery case.

HCSO Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Garcia-Zunun and traveled to Fresno, California to arrest him. With the cooperation of ICE officials, HCSO Detectives took custody of Garcia-Zunun and transported him back to Hendry County.

Garcia-Zunun was booked into the Hendry County jail on charges of sexual battery and kidnapping. Garcia-Zunun is currently being held with no bond.