Trial reset for man accused of home invasion, sexual assault

CEDAR RAPIDS -The trial for a man accused of forcing his way into an elderly woman's home and sexually assaulting her last summer is reset to March 26, in Linn County District Court.

Darryl Tyson, 21, of Cedar Rapids, charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, second-degree sexual abuse and second-degree theft, is accused of breaking into a home along Oakland Road NE, May 5, and sexually assaulting a 81-year-old woman.

Police said Tyson then stole her car to escape from the house. The car was later discovered in Hiawatha and Tyson apparently fled to Illinois.

Investigators eventually linked Tyson to the crime by matching DNA at the scene to his known DNA profile in a national data system, according to court documents. He was arrested in Peoria, Ill., July 10, and later extradited back to Iowa.

Tyson also was charged last month with fourth-degree criminal mischief after jail staff discovered a small hole in the window of his cell. He had been placed in an isolation cell for a disciplinary issue and allegedly covered part of a surveillance camera to conceal him making the hole.

Tyson remains in jail under bond.