Antoine Pettis, 24, of Milwaukee was charged Tuesday after being identified by family DNA and later confessed to the sexual assault of a 101-year-old Milwaukee woman.
Investigators say Pettis left behind DNA evidence at the scene. Police say they had Pettis' DNA on file from a paternity case last year.
He told police that he and another suspect initially entered the home with the intention of burglarizing it, but when there was nothing they wanted, he sexually assaulted the victim and then fled the scene.
Pettis faces burglary, aggravated battery and second-degree sexual assault. If convicted, he faces more than 58 years in prison.
For the second time in state history, the DNA of a relative has led to the arrest of a suspect wanted for sexual assault.