Sheriff's department uses DNA from cigarette to identify possible burglary suspect

It was in the mid-morning hours of Saturday, July 28, that Kings County deputies investigated a residential burglary near Highway 198 in Hanford. Deputies believed the burglary occurred sometime between July 22 and July 27, 2019.

Upon arriving home, the owner discovered the back door to the residence was open. A “doggie” door installed on the back door was removed, and it appeared that someone had crawled through it. The owner also discovered the upstairs bathtub water faucet had been turned on, flooding the area, causing considerable damage.

The owner also discovered someone had tampered with the ignition of a riding lawn mower housed in the home’s garage.

Deputies processed the area for evidence, and in doing so, they located a cigarette butt left on the overflowing bathtub. The homeowner said the “butt” did not belong to him. The cigarette evidence was sent to the Department of Justice for processing for possible DNA.

On January 3, 2020, Deputies received notification from the DOJ that there was a possible DNA match and identified a possible suspect: Karl Julius Jensen.

Deputies authored a search warrant to obtain a new DNA sample from Jensen, who at the time was in the Kings County Jail on an unrelated case. Deputies got a sample. The suspect refused an interview request.

The investigation was sent to the Kings County District Attorney's Office for prosecution.