Man recently released from prison charged in 2 attacks on women in downtown Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A registered sex offender who was recently released from prison has been charged in two violent, separate attacks on women in downtown Nashville Thursday.

Deontez Drew, 27, is accused of attacking a 23-year-old woman around 3 a.m. on Division Street before beating a 39-year-old woman with a baseball bat on Pine Street around 2 p.m. He was released from the Hardeman County Correctional Facility on Wednesday after serving a 9-year sentence.

Drew was charged with aggravated rape and especially aggravated kidnapping in the attack of the victim who was walking from her downtown workplace to her apartment on Division Street. He was charged with attempted criminal homicide and especially aggravated robbery for the bat attack on the woman in the hallway of her Pine Street apartment building.

According to a press release, the 3 a.m. victim first noticed someone following her as she walked on 8th Avenue South at Korean Veterans Boulevard near the roundabout. When she was underneath the railroad overpass near 8th Avenue South and Gleaves Street, she heard footsteps rapidly approaching and turned to face the person.

Drew reportedly pushed her to the ground, put his arm around her neck and placed a knife at her side. He then dragged her down Gleaves Street to an alley between two buildings and threatened to kill her if she didn’t engage in sex acts, according to Metro police.

The victim was able deescalate the situation by telling Drew he could spend the night with her and she wouldn’t tell anyone what he had done. Drew told the victim he had just gotten out of jail and didn’t want to go back. Once the victim saw an opportunity to flee, she ran to the lobby of her Division Street apartment building and called for help.

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In Thursday afternoon’s attack, the victim told officers she was returning to her Pine Street apartment from walking her dog when she saw Drew in the hallway outside her door. Drew told the woman he was delivering Uber Eats and told her a non-existent apartment number.

The woman went into her apartment, secured her dog and then went to tell management a strange man was in the building. When she got to the elevator, Drew was there waiting with a wooden baseball bat. He hit her in the face and when she turned to run, he hit her in the back of the head and took her cell phone, according to a press release.

Neighbors heard the woman screaming and came out to see Drew running away. A resident chased after him and kept him in sight for police officers. Drew then hid under a car near Laurel Street and 11th Avenue South. As a group of people attempted to surround Drew, a Metro officer saw him come out from under the car and took him into custody.

The victim was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment of serious head wounds.

Drew was booked into the Metro jail where his bond is set at $800,000.

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