Double Rape Suspect Arrested
Fresh out of jail and still in his orange socks, Detectives say Derrick Caldwell broke into two elderly womens homes and raped them.
Senior citizens like Kitty Hilliard say they were astounded by the news.
"I thought they aught to catch that SOB and put him in jail," she said.
On Thursday Caldwell was back behind bars and charged with the rapes.
His arrest affidavit reveals that the first victim came home to discover Caldwell hiding behind her bed where he raped her.
Caldwell confronted the second woman inside her home the next day.
Reports say he put his hands around her neck and told her he had a knife before raping her.
Neither one of the victims knew the man.
In both reports the victims say Caldwell talked them after the rape.
Reports show he said he does not try to do these bad things, then told them he used to play football in High School but his mother made him quit because of bad grades. He also told them his father was dead and that he would be dead soon too.
Caroline Huffaker is the Sexual response team coordinator for Partnership in Chattanooga, she says rapes that happen after a break in can make everyone feel vulnerable.
"Home is supposed to be a safe place and so where do I go when home is no longer a safe place? I think that can really kind of add a different kind of dynamic to a situation like this," said Huffaker.
When the crimes were first reported Chattanooga police wouldn’t tell News 12 if the rapes were a break in, or even if the victims knew the suspect.
Hilliard says that’s information she wish she and her friends had.
"Then they would be a little more leary and keep more doors locked and more alert to what’s going on around them," Hilliard said.
"I think any information that people can arm themselves with is helpful but also I can’t really comment on why the city or law enforcement did or didn’t do something," said Huffaker.
Hilliard says she feels a little safe now that the suspected rapist is off the streets.
"He should never have been let out of jail in the first place."
Senior citizens like Kitty Hilliard say they were astounded by the news.
"I thought they aught to catch that SOB and put him in jail," she said.
On Thursday Caldwell was back behind bars and charged with the rapes.
His arrest affidavit reveals that the first victim came home to discover Caldwell hiding behind her bed where he raped her.
Caldwell confronted the second woman inside her home the next day.
Reports say he put his hands around her neck and told her he had a knife before raping her.
Neither one of the victims knew the man.
In both reports the victims say Caldwell talked them after the rape.
Reports show he said he does not try to do these bad things, then told them he used to play football in High School but his mother made him quit because of bad grades. He also told them his father was dead and that he would be dead soon too.
Caroline Huffaker is the Sexual response team coordinator for Partnership in Chattanooga, she says rapes that happen after a break in can make everyone feel vulnerable.
"Home is supposed to be a safe place and so where do I go when home is no longer a safe place? I think that can really kind of add a different kind of dynamic to a situation like this," said Huffaker.
When the crimes were first reported Chattanooga police wouldn’t tell News 12 if the rapes were a break in, or even if the victims knew the suspect.
Hilliard says that’s information she wish she and her friends had.
"Then they would be a little more leary and keep more doors locked and more alert to what’s going on around them," Hilliard said.
"I think any information that people can arm themselves with is helpful but also I can’t really comment on why the city or law enforcement did or didn’t do something," said Huffaker.
Hilliard says she feels a little safe now that the suspected rapist is off the streets.
"He should never have been let out of jail in the first place."
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