Escaped Tennessee child rape suspect turns himself in after 45 minutes in freezing cold, police say

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A child rape suspect in Tennessee proved to be no match for bitterly cold weather, and spent less than an hour on the run from police before turning himself in, authorities said.

According to the Memphis Police Department, 20-year-old Demarkus Davis was being transported Jan. 14 to the county jail in a police car when he managed to escape while handcuffed.

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.

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Demarkus Davis, 20, abandoned his attempts to flee from police custody during Saturday’s frigid temperatures in Memphis, Tenn., officials said.  (Shelby County Sheriff’s Office )

After approximately 45 minutes of trudging through the cold conditions, Davis concluded that it was better to be locked up than to be frozen.

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Law enforcement said that the 20-year-old flagged down a passing car and turned himself in to authorities.

Memphis police say Davis turned himself back in due to the cold weather. (Fox News Digital)

He is currently being held on a $76,000 bond.

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According to court records, the rape charges were filed following an incident on April 1, 2022.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. 

She is a native of Massachusetts and is based in Orlando, Florida.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.