She thought he was her ride-share driver. Now TN man is charged with kidnapping, rape
On an early Monday morning in May, a woman said she was taken to a remote location in Tennessee and raped by a man she believed was her ride-share driver.
Now police have arrested the 49-year-old driver.
Randall C. Johnson was arrested Monday and charged with aggravated kidnapping, rape and assault, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. Johnson is from Lebanon, Tennessee, about 30 miles outside of Nashville.
The incident dates to May 24, when the woman and her male friend left a bar in downtown Nashville around 2:45 a.m. and climbed into the back of a 4-door Chevrolet pickup, McClatchy News previously reported.
Police said the pair believed the truck was their ride-sharing service.
The truck was reportedly clad with “multiple Harley Davidson insignias” and took the woman and her friend to a short-term rental on 9th Avenue North in Nashville. But as the friend was trying to help the woman get out, police said, the driver took off with her still inside.
The woman told police she was taken to a field about 30 minutes away, sexually assaulted and dropped back off in Nashville.
A citizen’s tip helped investigators identify Johnson, police said.
This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 11:50 AM with the headline "She thought he was her ride-share driver. Now TN man is charged with kidnapping, rape."
