Car from Lee County connected to Nashville rape

NASHVILLE, TN (WCBI/NASHVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT)   A car from Lee County is connected to a home burglary and rape in Nashville, Tennessee.   Nashville Police say the 2013 Dodge Avenger with Lee County plates  LHY-745 is thought to be the car the attacker drove to the apartment complex before the rape.  .

The suspect fled the scene in the victim’s car.    If you recognize this car you are asked to call Nashville Crimestoppers with your anonymous information at   615-742-7463.

BELOW IS THE COMPLETE RELEASE FROM THE METRO NASHVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Sex Crimes detectives are actively pursuing leads as they work to identify the man responsible for the stranger burglary and rape late Wednesday afternoon of a 30-year-old woman inside her apartment in The Overlook complex at 727 Bell Road.

The victim, who is pregnant, suffered serious injuries when she jumped from a third floor window to escape her attacker.  She remains hospitalized.

South Precinct officers responded to the apartment complex at 5 p.m. Wednesday after the victim flagged down a neighbor who called police.  After interviews with the victim at the hospital during the night and a review of surveillance video received today from the apartment complex, detectives have determined the following:

The victim arrived home from the store at 4:10 p.m. and parked her 2011 dark green Toyota Camry outside her apartment building.  The assailant had arrived at the apartment complex about 25 minutes earlier and was in her breezeway when she returned home.  The victim went to her apartment, was not feeling well, and decided to lie down in her bedroom.  She reported hearing noises, but thought they were coming from outside and ignored them.  A short time later, the assailant entered the bedroom armed with a knife from the victim’s kitchen.  He demanded money and told her not to run.  He proceeded to take the belongings in her purse and then raped the victim.  During her struggle with the attacker, the victim managed to hit him over the head with a bottle, which caused him to leave the room.  She then used the knife that he left behind to slash the screen and jumped out of the bedroom window.

After moving away from her apartment building, the assailant got into her car, the dark green Camry (Tennessee license number LP4141), and fled the apartment complex. The burglar/rapist is described as a black man in his late teens to early 20s, approximately 6 feet tall with a thin but muscular build.  She described him as being clean shaven and wearing a purple T-shirt, dark jeans and black & white athletic shoes.

Officers throughout the city are on the lookout for the car, as well as a second vehicle in which the suspect is believed to have arrived at the apartment complex Wednesday afternoon.  It is a black 2013 Dodge Avenger bearing Mississippi license number LHY-745.