62-year-old arrested in connection with 2 cold case rapes in Pasadena

PASADENA, Texas (KTRK) -- Pasadena police have arrested a 62-year-old man in connection with two violent rapes that happened 28 years ago.

ABC13 obtained exclusive photos of William Thomas Ward as he was arrested at his home in Anahuac early Thursday morning.

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Authorities say Ward's DNA was found on two women who were raped in June 1993.

On June 28, 1993, a woman was parking her car at her apartment complex in Pasadena when she says a man came up behind her and put a gun to her head. She told police the man warned her that if she moved, he would kill her.

Now, nearly three decades later, police say that man was Ward.

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The woman said Ward forced her into his car and put a stocking cap over her head so she couldn't see. Police say Ward then took the woman to a field, laid her on a blanket, sprayed her with insect repellant, told her to take off her clothes and raped her. Afterward, the woman was told to get dressed. The man drove her back to Pasadena where he told her to get out of the car. For a second time, she told authorities, he said if she told anyone, he'd kill her. The woman never saw her attacker's face.

The woman drove to a hospital, where doctors preformed a rape kit and collected an unidentified man's DNA. It matched DNA collected from another rape that had been reported to police three days prior.

In January, police say they were finally able to confirm the DNA was Ward's.

Detectives interviewed Ward in January and they say he denied raping the women, but couldn't explain why his DNA was found on them. On May 12, the warrant was issued for his arrest.

"The Pasadena Police Department's Cold Case Unit wants to thank our law enforcement partners who assisted in the apprehension of the suspect and bringing him to justice," said Detective Chris MacGregor with Pasadena police. "We hope that this apprehension brings a sense of closure to the victims of this investigation."

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