Man Arrested For Alleged Kidnapping And Rape Of Woman Who Confused Him With Ride-Share Driver

A Tennessee man has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and raping a woman who mistook his car for a ride-share and boarded it.

Randall C. Johnson, 49, was arrested Monday in connection with the rape and kidnapping of the woman in the wee hours of May 24. He has been charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape, and aggravated assault, according to the Nashville Police Department.

On the night of the incident, the woman and her male acquaintance got into the suspect’s black pickup truck in downtown Nashville after confusing it with a ride-share. Both the passengers were returning from a bar and were intoxicated.

“The victim and a male acquaintance left a downtown bar at 2:45 a.m. They got into a black 4-door Chevrolet pickup truck with multiple Harley Davidson insignias, including a front vanity plate thinking it was a rideshare,” the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a statement.

Johnson drove his two passengers to a short-term rental on Ninth Avenue North. As the male passenger stepped out of the car and was attempting to help the woman in the car, Johnson sped off with the victim, WSMV reported.

The woman told investigators that Johnson took her to a remote field about 30 minutes away where he sexually assaulted her. Afterward, he took her back to Nashville and dropped her off.

Following the attack, the police department shared a news release urging the public to help identify the man. It described the suspect as “a white man who appeared to be in his 50s with salt and pepper hair wearing a camouflage shirt.”

Authorities said the suspect’s truck had the Tennessee American Eagle Foundation vanity license plate and a tool storage box in its bed.

Months after the incident, police were able to identify Johnson as the suspect and eventually arrested him Monday following a “citizen’s tip”.

Last year, a 32-year-old man was stopped for speeding in North Carolina when police found a body in the car’s trunk. The suspect, a registered sex offender, said the car belonged to the victim.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).