DNA evidence has linked the 21-year-old Palestinian suspected of subjecting a young couple to a prolonged rape and sexual assault to the scene of the crime, senior law enforcement sources confirmed on Wednesday.

The development came as police were set to hold a line-up to see if the 17-year-old girl and her 18-year-old boyfriend, who were held at knifepoint for 3 hours at a bathroom at the Gan Ha-Ir parking lot during the rape, could pick out the suspect.

According to the police investigation, the suspect allegedly raped the girl after coercing the two to have sexual relations while he watched. The whole incident occurred in a parking lot in one of Tel Aviv´s most central locations, near Rabin Square and the municipality building.

The suspect -who cannot be named due to a media ban - has denied raping the girl and forcing the couple to carry out sexual acts on one another, admitting only to stealing their cell phones. He has also denied being in possession of a knife.

The Tel Aviv Magistrate´s Court extended his custody by nine days on Tuesday. (© 1995-2011, The Jerusalem Post 05/16/12)