LA police let rape DNA tests lapse

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Los Angeles police let the deadline for up to 200 sexual assault cases lapse without testing DNA evidence, city audits released Monday said.

The Los Angeles Police Department has come under increasing criticism for a huge backlog of untested DNA evidence -- the 200 cases were part of a larger backlog of 7,000 sexual assault kits still to be examined -- but the department said it doesn't have the money to process the kits faster, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Each kit contains potential DNA evidence that might link someone to a felony.

A report by City Controller Laura Chick said the logjam has defied an infusion of nearly $4 million in grants to process the kits.

"Sometimes I find problems as city controller that simply defy explanation," Chick said at a news conference.

Chick's report is the second scandal to rock the LAPD this month. The Times said last week it obtained a confidential report showing that the unit responsible for analyzing fingerprints had produced faulty work and even falsely implicated innocent people in crimes.