A 30-year-old Tennessee man is now in custody following an incident in Newbern where he allegedly broke into a home to kidnap a 10-year-old girl. Authorities say the suspect, Steven Devonte Harris, ripped an air conditioning unit out of a bedroom window to gain entry to the residence.
According to WSMV, the kidnapping occurred early Wednesday morning. Police reports indicate that the girl was forcibly taken from her home, threatened, and assaulted. The suspect then purportedly dragged the child into the woods. In a press release, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) stated that their agents worked alongside the Newbern Police Department, the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and task force members to investigate the abduction.
The TBI press release noted that the child was able to briefly escape before the suspect allegedly caught up with her again. During that escape, she sought help from a nearby neighbor. The agency credited this neighbor’s quick actions with helping to save the child’s life.
Police say she broke free and ran for help
According to a police report cited by the WMC, the man used his belt to tie the girl to a tree and held a knife to her throat, telling her he was going to rape her. After he allegedly left her tied to the tree, the child managed to break free and ran toward a neighboring residence. She reportedly used a Ring doorbell to attempt to communicate and seek help. The report noted that the suspect caught up with her behind the apartment and began to strangle her.
The alleged confrontation was interrupted when someone arrived at the apartment, began honking a car horn, and screamed for help. According to Law & Crime, the child’s aunt, who lives nearby, emerged from her home carrying a spiked bat, which seems to have prompted the suspect to flee the scene on foot. Per WBBJ, a neighbor said she woke up to loud noises and screaming around 12:50 AM.
WMC reported that when detectives searched the area, they discovered a belt, a vape, and a green sweatshirt in the woods. This evidence proved critical to the investigation.
District Attorney Danny Goodman told WBBJ, “The key part of the evidence was that the TBI and FBI, as well as the Dyer County Sheriff’s Department and Newbern Police Department, were all searching the area, and they did find some items of interest that were mentioned by the victim. Once we got those back, it kind of confirmed the suspect that we had in mind anyway. So, that was the key piece of evidence that let us know we were on the right track.”
The physical evidence was submitted to the TBI Crime Lab for DNA testing, including Rapid DNA processing. The results reportedly pointed to Harris. DNA evidence has helped close other cases this year, including two 1980s cold case murders that were solved through a chewing gum sample.
According to TBI’s press release, Harris was arrested Wednesday night and booked into the Dyer County Jail. He faces a series of serious charges, including two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, and attempted rape of a child. Earlier this month, a Connecticut man was accused of kidnapping a 5-year-old after an argument with the boy’s mother, before the child was recovered unharmed.
As noted in the TBI press release, these charges are accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence, as a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Law & Crime reported that detectives noted Harris appeared deceptive and provided inconsistent answers during an interview after he was read his Miranda rights.
According to the outlets, the young victim was taken to a hospital for medical treatment following the ordeal. Harris is scheduled to appear in court on Monday morning.
Published: Sep 27, 2026 07:00 am