Nashville Police Arrest 18-Year-Old After Traffic Stop, Alleging Rape-Related Charges and Weapon Endangerment

What police say led to the arrest

Nashville police arrested an 18-year-old on March 7, 2026, after investigators stopped a vehicle in the southeast Nashville area and later alleged the teen was illegally carrying a loaded handgun while traveling with two children in the back seat.

Police records describe the stop occurring near Bell Road and Arbor Common after detectives reported seeing the suspect at a gas station along Hobson Pike. Investigators said they recognized him as a suspect connected to an earlier robbery case. The teen was a front-seat passenger; an unidentified driver was behind the wheel; and two children, including a 2-month-old infant, were in the rear seat, according to the arrest documentation.

Items reported found inside the vehicle

Officers reported smelling marijuana inside the vehicle and then conducting a search. The arrest paperwork lists items police said they recovered, including marijuana, ammunition, and a ski mask.

• Approximately 42 grams of marijuana in a clear plastic bag inside a passenger door pocket
• Additional open commercial packaging containing marijuana in the center console
• A box of 9mm ammunition in a passenger door pocket
• A black ski mask on the front passenger floorboard
• A loose .40-caliber round on the rear passenger floorboard

Second search and handgun discovery

Police wrote that the teen initially denied being armed and that the first pat-down did not locate a weapon. The paperwork states a second search was conducted, during which an officer found a loaded FN Herstal 509 handgun equipped with a weapon light concealed in the teen’s groin area.

Police allege the firearm’s position, while the teen was seated, placed the barrel direction toward the back-seat area where the children were riding.

Charges and initial court posture

Court records associated with the arrest list multiple allegations, including drug-related charges and weapon offenses. They also include serious felony allegations involving minors. Among the charges reflected in the case records are aggravated rape and solicitation of a minor for rape, along with felon in possession of a weapon, evading arrest in a motor vehicle, and two counts of reckless endangerment.

The arrest paperwork also notes the suspect acknowledged marijuana use before entering the vehicle. Jail records available at the time of publication indicated the teen was being held and not eligible for release while the case proceeded. A judicial review date was set shortly after the arrest.

What remains unresolved

The arrest affidavits and docket entries outline allegations but do not establish guilt. The identities of the children and the driver were not disclosed in the publicly available materials, and the underlying facts supporting the rape-related counts were not fully detailed in the traffic-stop narrative. The case is expected to move through Davidson County criminal court, where charging decisions, bond status, and evidentiary disputes will be addressed in hearings ahead of any trial.