A man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after DNA evidence connected him to two Austin sexual-assault investigations that had remained unresolved for more than two decades.
Austin Police Department says Michael Lance Gamez pleaded guilty on May 20, 2026, to one count of attempted aggravated sexual assault, a second-degree felony. Judge Chantal Eldridge of the 331st District Court sentenced him on August 3.
The department announced the outcome on September 2 while explaining how evidence from incidents in 1999 and 2000 eventually identified the same person. The police account describes the investigations as closed and does not identify either victim.
What happened in the two Austin cases?
The first incident was reported on September 9, 1999, at the Capital Metro Pavilion Park and Ride in the 12400 block of Research Boulevard. APD says a woman was physically assaulted and an unknown man attempted to sexually assault her before fleeing when she screamed.
The second incident took place on February 8, 2000, in the 9000 block of Northgate Boulevard. Police say a woman was attacked and restrained after allowing a man into her apartment when he asked for assistance. She fought back and the man fled.
Investigators collected forensic evidence in both cases. In April 2000, the Texas Department of Public Safety told APD that DNA from the two investigations matched the same unidentified male, but the evidence did not then provide a name.
How investigators identified Gamez
APD received notice in October 2023 that the DNA profile had been identified as belonging to Gamez. Detectives located him in February 2024, obtained a DNA search warrant and sent a comparison sample to the state crime laboratory.
The laboratory confirmed the match in October 2024 and Gamez was arrested the following month. Police say the charges filed at that stage included aggravated kidnapping, attempted aggravated sexual assault and attempted sexual assault.
Those original charges should not be confused with the final conviction. The department’s announcement says Gamez ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of attempted aggravated sexual assault and requested sentencing by a judge.
A final court outcome
The two investigations were linked by forensic evidence in 2000, but the profile remained unidentified for more than 20 years. APD says the later identification and comparison sample allowed investigators to complete the case.
This report concerns a recorded guilty plea and sentence, not an unresolved allegation. It is based on the Austin Police Department’s official case update. Local Gazette has not reproduced police imagery or identified the victims.
