A man who spent decades evading police and terrorizing women is now behind bars, according to Visalia police.

The sexual assault victims have waited 20 years for today's announcement.

"Justice can sometimes be a long and winding path and seem like a journey of a thousand miles," District Attorney Tim Ward said. "That journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

On Wednesday, Visalia police arrested Nickey Duane Stane, 52.

A day later, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer announced Stane is the "primary suspect" in the 1996 rape and murder of 22-year-old Debbie Dorian.

Stane was arrested using a Tulare County arrest warrant that was issued in 2009.

The warrant was issued using a DNA profile obtained by the Department of Justice. Because police didn't have a name, the warrant was issued for John Doe, until this week.

This is the first arrest in Tulare County using a John Doe warrant, Ward said.

Stane is accused of seven sexual assaults between 1999 to 2002. He's charged with four because of the similarity in those crimes.

Dyer said Stane will also be arrested in connection to Dorian's murder in the "very, very near future."

"Although the other three (sexual assaults) are not charged, we do believe the suspect is responsible," Police Chief Jason Salazar said. "The victims in these crimes were also very specific and similar."

Stane's arrest came thanks to a break in the DNA database. DNA found at Dorian's apartment and the Visalia sexual assaults match, according to Dyer.

A terrorized community

Beginning in July 1999, Visalia police began receiving reports of sexual assaults involving teenage girls and young women.

The first case was reported on July 30, 1999, at Walnut Avenue and San Joaquin Street.

A 19-year-old woman was riding her bike when she spotted a man wearing a hoodie sweatshirt. He walked into her path and pulled out a gun. He then took her to a side street and forced her into bushes.

The suspect then forced the woman to her knees. He began to fondle the woman's breasts and masturbated, according to the victim.

"The suspect told her he would shoot her if she told anyone," Salazar said. "He eventually let her go."

The woman rode her bike home and told her family what happened. She then reported the incident to police.

Officers were able to gather a DNA sample from the crime scene. That DNA sample was used to create a profile of the suspect and it was stored in a DOJ database.

Reports kept coming in that matched the first assault, police said.

In one case, the suspect was wearing a dark hoodie and carrying a gun. He fondled an 18-year-old woman's breasts with his hand and penis. He also tried to force the woman to perform oral sex on him, but was unsuccessful.

In one case, he forced a 17-year-old to perform oral sex.

This was an investigation that gained attention throughout the community and sent fear throughout the city.

"Nickey Stane committed horrific crimes against women of this community," Salazar said. "Today, he is in custody for those crimes."

Debbie Dorian

On Aug. 22, 1996, Dorian was supposed to meet her father for a trip to San Francisco. When she didn't show up at his house, he became concerned.

Dorian's father went to his daughter's apartment near Cedar Avenue. There he found his daughter's body bound and gagged, Dyer said.

Homicide detectives discovered the Fresno woman had been raped. Semen was found on her body and entered into the national DNA database, CODIS.

"This case has continuously been investigated for the last 23 years," Dyer said.

Earlier this year, Visalia and Fresno detectives began working together to solve these long-cold cases.

The agencies coordinated efforts for a number of reasons, Dyer said. Having Visalia detectives make their arrest first allowed Fresno detectives to gather more evidence against Stane.

Twenty-five boxes of evidence were seized from Stane's Visalia home this week. Stane was also interviewed by Fresno detectives, according to Dyer.

"A statement was provided," he added. "...We anticipate the arrest of Stane for that rape and murder in the very, very near future."

DNA used to unlock decades-old cases

Over the course of the 20-year investigation, countless leads were exhausted.

It wasn't until new DNA technology — the same technology used to capture the accused Golden State Killer — that police found the best lead.

Earlier this year, violent crimes detectives began watching Stane. Eventually, they collected a DNA sample from him without him knowing. The DNA matched that of the sample taken in 1999.

"It can be heartbreaking for a community when a case has gone cold. That’s why our DNA team is constantly working to find new leads and always stands ready to provide assistance whenever and wherever possible," said Attorney General Xavier Becerra. "We’ll continue to do our part to bring a measure of justice and peace to the families who have been impacted by violent crime."

Stane is a longtime Visalia resident, according to Salazar. He has had no recent contact with police.

"Sexual assault is a serious crime that has no room in our society," said Nicola Duda, assistant bureau director of the Bureau of Forensic Services with the DOJ. "Every week, we test new DNA samples against the national database."

Stane is charged in an eight-count complaint chronicling his extensive alleged criminal history.

That complaint was originally filed in 2009 to avoid reaching the statute of limitations. The complaint has since been amended to include Stane's name.

He's charged with sexual battery, kidnapping to commit robbery, forced oral copulation and attempted forcible oral copulation. He also faces the special allegation that he used a firearm during these acts.

"Today is not a resolution," Ward said. "It's just another step in the pursuit of justice."

Stane was arraigned on Friday.

If anyone has information regarding the case, they are urged to call Detective Jacob Sorensen at 713-4576.

Sheyanne Romero covers Tulare County public safety, local government and business for the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register newspapers. Follow her on Twitter @sheyanne_VTD. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.