Hamilton police say they were able to make an arrest in an alleged sexual assault that took place a decade ago thanks to DNA collected from the complainant’s boot.

Police say the complainant was walking alone near Quigley Road and Veevers Drive in the early hours of Aug. 14, 2015, when someone pulled her into a wooded area and sexually assaulted her.

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Investigators say she kicked her assailant in the face and escaped.

They say police collected DNA from her boot but couldn’t find a match until December 2021.

Police say that after further investigation, they arrested a 27-year-old man earlier this month. He has been released and is due back in court at a later date.

The suspect cannot be identified because he was a minor at the time of the alleged sexual assault.