NEWBERN, Tenn. (WMC) – An alleged kidnapper is now behind bars after a little girl was forcibly taken from her Tennessee home and assaulted early Wednesday morning.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Steven Devonte Harris, is charged with two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, aggravated burglary and attempted rape of a child.
He was booked at the Dyer County Jail after his capture Wednesday night.
Steven Devonte Harris, 30(Dyer County Sheriff’s Office)
Police say the abduction happened around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning at a home on East Johnson Street in Newbern, Tennessee.
According to a social media post by the child’s mother, Crystal Brown, a stranger broke into their home by ripping an air conditioning unit out of her daughter’s bedroom window.
The intruder then allegedly dragged the 10-year-old girl into the woods and assaulted her.
The police report says the man tied her to a tree using his belt and threatened the girl with a knife to her throat, telling the girl he was going to rape her.
Scene of kidnapping investigation on East Johnson Street in Newbern, Tennessee.(Gray News)
The man left the girl tied to a tree and walked away, at which point the child reportedly broke free and ran to a neighbor’s home to communicate with them via a Ring doorbell.
The man returned and grabbed the girl again behind the neighbor’s apartment and started to strangle her.
Shortly after, someone arrived at the apartment and began honking a car horn and screaming for help.
A neighbor said the girl’s aunt came outside with a spiked bat before the man ran off.
Police said the girl was later taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
Detectives found a belt, a vape and a green sweatshirt in the woods.
Forensic testing of the collected DNA evidence allowed investigators to identify Harris as the suspect.
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