Philadelphia police arrest suspect in 2011 rape case

Philadelphia Police have arrested Robert Leo Ashley, of 1300 block South Divinity Street, for the September 2011 rape of an 81-year-old Southwest Philadelphia woman as she slept in her home.

Ashley, 59, broke into the woman's home on S. 51st Street and ransacked the bedroom before assaulting the woman, police said. The woman, who lived near Ashley, was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital where she was treated for her injuries.

The evidence gathered by authorities resulted in a positive DNA match for Ashley, police said. Ashley has four prior convictions, including a 1977 rape charge. Ashley had an outstanding bench warrant for a 2011 burglary charge in Philadelphia after failing to appear for his trial.

Investigators from the Special Victims Unit located Ashley in a Drexel Hill private residence, where he was arrested Friday. Ashley admitted to police that he had sexually assaulted the victim, authorities said.