MEMPHIS, TN — A Newbern man charged this week with kidnapping and attempting to rape a 10-year-old girl had already been indicted in 2020 in a separate sex-crime case involving a 95-year-old woman, according to Newbern police.
Authorities said Steven Devonte Harris was arrested Thursday after the child was allegedly taken from her home and later able to escape. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the girl was threatened and assaulted during the incident.
Police and state investigators said the case moved quickly after DNA evidence was collected and sent to a crime lab for testing. Harris was booked into the Dyer County Jail as investigators continued to build the case against him.
Police say the child escaped after being taken from her Newbern home
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the kidnapping happened during the early morning hours of Sept. 23 on E. Johnson Street. Investigators said the 10-year-old was abducted from her home, threatened and assaulted before briefly getting away.
According to the TBI, the girl managed to escape for a moment, but the suspect caught up with her again. In that brief break, she reached a nearby neighbor, whose quick action helped save her life, investigators said.
The victim’s mother later described the attack in a Facebook post, writing that someone broke into the home, removed a window air-conditioning unit and dragged her daughter out of the house and into the woods. She said a “monster” was in their hometown.
DNA testing helped investigators identify Steven Devonte Harris
The TBI said it gathered DNA evidence from the scene and submitted it to the state crime lab for testing, including rapid DNA processing. Investigators said those results led them to Harris.
Chief Greg Barr said the TBI took over the investigation the same day the child was abducted. Harris was arrested hours later in the 600 block of N. Grayson Street.
Barr said police were relieved to reach a quick resolution and get the suspect off the street. He said Newbern officers would continue supporting the TBI as the case proceeds.
Earlier indictment in 2020 involved rape, burglary and sexual assault charges
Newbern police said Harris was indicted in 2020 for the rape of a 95-year-old victim in the same community. Police said the earlier incident happened on the morning of Nov. 27, 2019, when a man forced his way into a Newbern home, stole items and sexually assaulted an elderly victim.
At the time, Harris was 24 and was charged with aggravated rape, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated burglary. Barr, who was not with the department then, said Harris later pleaded down to aggravated assault.
The Tennessee Department of Correction said Harris served a four-year, six-month sentence in Dyer County for aggravated assault, and that sentence expired on March 12, 2023.
Current charges include kidnapping, assault and attempted rape of a child
Thursday’s arrest led to new charges that include especially aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, aggravated burglary and attempted rape of a child. Harris remained booked in the Dyer County Jail after his arrest.
Police have not announced when Harris will make his first court appearance. The TBI said the investigation remains tied to the evidence collected in the child kidnapping case.
In her post, the child’s mother said her daughter is alive and safe. She said the family is focused on helping the girl recover.
Community reaction centered on relief after the child’s rescue
Authorities described the outcome as a fast-moving response that ended with the child safe and the suspect in custody. Barr said the quick arrest came after investigators assembled the resources needed to locate Harris.
The mother praised the people who helped during the emergency and said “guardian angels” were watching over her child. She thanked those involved and said the priority now is healing.
The case has drawn attention not only because of the child’s escape, but also because of Harris’s prior criminal history in the same area. Police said that earlier case and this week’s arrest are separate matters, but both unfolded in Newbern.
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