Cordarius Caldwell, 20, is wanted for aggravated rape and false imprisonment from Metro Nashville Police. With a rape suspect in custody, Nashville police are breathing a sigh of relief, and local authorities say they're grateful no one was seriously injured in the car chase that led to his arrest.
Cordarius Caldwell, 20, was arrested Wednesday after leading Tennessee Highway Patrol officers through Chattanooga, leaving 15 car wrecks in his wake along Interstate 24 and Interstate 75.
A call from the FBI alerted authorities to be on the lookout for Caldwell, who was spotted driving a stolen Chevrolet Impala east toward Chattanooga on I-24, just over the state border.
Caldwell refused to stop when troopers pulled up behind him and sped off through dense traffic, striking other cars and forcing them off the road. He was finally stopped at the East Brainerd exit on I-75 after hitting an officer's vehicle and crashing into a concrete barrier.
The car spun 180 degrees and came to rest alongside the barrier, facing oncoming traffic, as officers swarmed around the car to block his escape.
Highway Patrol Lt. John Harmon said only one person was injured, trooper Calvin Naipo, who suffered minor injuries when Caldwell forced his car off the roadway.
"It could have been much worse," Harmon said.
Don Aaron, public affairs director for the Nashville Police Department, said Caldwell led authorities on a similar high-speed chase there early Wednesday morning and was a clear danger to the community.
"He's a man who needed to be taken off the streets as quickly as possible, and it's good for all of us that it happened less than 24 hours after the alleged rape case," Aaron said.
Nashville police had responded to a call early Wednesday morning about a woman screaming at a home, but no one came to the door when they arrived, according to a news release from the Nashville Police Department.
An officer said he saw a man open a side window, but he refused to come out when ordered and retreated into the home. When the officer approached the window, he saw a woman, the alleged victim, standing inside. He said she was terrified and shaking. He pulled her to safety after she said she couldn't leave through the front door.
At the same time, Caldwell opened another window and jumped out, running to a gas station where he stole the Impala.
"As our officers attempted to bring him into custody, Caldwell drove the stolen Impala at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour to elude capture," Aaron said.
Later, the 20-year-old woman told authorities the defendant sexually assaulted her at gunpoint after bringing her to the home that night. According to a news release, the two had become acquainted through Facebook.
Another man, Zachery Taylor, 21, was charged with aggravated rape and false imprisonment for allegedly knowing an assault was taking place and failing to stop it or help the woman. Police said he was in the home at the time of the alleged assault. His bond has been set at $125,000.
It is unclear where Caldwell was traveling as a final destination to avoid capture, but Aaron said after officers found he had fled the Nashville area, information led them to believe he was heading toward East Tennessee.
Harmon said Caldwell is now facing a slew of federal and state charges in addition to aggravated rape and false imprisonment of the 20-year-old woman.
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.