A Tennessee child rape suspect's getaway plans were thwarted by the extreme weather conditions, forcing him to turn himself in less than an hour after escaping from police custody.
Demarkus Davis, a child rape suspect, was being transferred to a jail in Shelby County, Tennessee, on Jan. 14 when he jumped out of a corrections officer's car in Memphis, according to the Memphis Police Department. Davis, 20, was wearing handcuffs at the time, they said.
Davis Flagged a Passing Motorist After Just 45 Minutes with the Intent to Turn Himself In
A bulletin was distributed by police to locate the suspect, who was only wearing jeans and a gray hoodie at the time of his escape. However, he didn't stay on the run for long.
After approximately 45 minutes in snowy, freezing conditions, Davis concluded that he was better off locked up than frozen, and flagged down a passing car with the intent to turn himself in, officials said. Memphis had an average temperature of 13 degrees Fahrenheit at the time Davis fled. Plus, it was actively snowing.
He is currently being held on a $76,000 bond. Davis was charged with rape in connection with an incident that took place on April 1, 2022, but not further details are available.
Memphis Weather Working in Police's Favour in Recent Days
This isn't the first time the freezing weather has worked to the Memphis Police Department's advantage in recent days, as reported by WREG.
Earlier on Sunday morning, footprints in the snow pointed officers straight to the location of two burglary suspects, ages 20 and 22, following a break-in at an Ulta store, the MPD said. Police said the parking lot was covered with snow when the pair broke through a front window and left with $4,000 worth of beauty products. Officers said they found the suspects still in the shopping center's lot, with a suitcase containing the stolen items.
Then, the following morning in Raleigh, Tennessee, officers said they saw two men trying to break into an air machine at a Valero gas station. Police said they were able to catch one of the suspects after finding his snowy footprints inside a stolen Honda nearby.
