Suspected Columbia prowler due in court Wednesday
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The man accused of being the Columbia prowler is set to face a judge Wednesday at the Boone County Courthouse.
Guillermo Vasquez Hernandez, 33, of Columbia, is charged with two counts of first-degree burglary and two counts of forgery after he is accused of targeting women as far back as 2020. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.
According to a probable cause statement, Hernandez finger prints were connected to at least three cases. In Wednesday's hearing, a prosecutor will file a motion asking the judge to order Hernandez DNA to be taken.
The first incident happened on Nov. 4, 2020, at around 11 p.m., court documents say. Columbia police responded to a burglary call in a redacted area of Columbia. The resident allegedly told police they were sleeping in the bedroom, heard the blinds of her window fall off. Court documents say the victim woke up, and saw a man entering the bedroom through the window.
The victim started screaming and the man ran away, court documents say. Officers found fingerprints on the outside of bedroom window and sent them to the lab for investigation, according to the problem cause statement.
The next reported incident occurred at 10 p.m. Aug. 9, 2022, court documents say. Officers responded to a burglary in a redacted area of Columbia. The resident allegedly officers they were in the bathtub with the bathroom door open when she looked into the mirror and saw a man looking into the bathroom from the hallway.
Law enforcement was able to connect Hernandez fingerprints after a court order for his fingerprints due to a traffic stop.
