A 24-year-old North Little Rock man is on his way to prison for 35 years for drug trafficking, child abuse and kidnapping -- an abduction that came to the attention of police when his girlfriend jumped out of a moving car to escape him.
Officers said they had to ram Caleb Hampton Turnage's car to stop him.
Sentencing papers filed Friday by deputy prosecutor Jayme Butts-Hall show that Turnage pleaded guilty to 11 felony charges before Pulaski County Circuit Judge Barry Sims for the separate criminal events, including child-abuse domestic battering in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a minor, maintaining a drug premises, kidnapping and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He faced up to 122 years in prison.
Court records show that Turnage and his girlfriend, Erin Rachelle Lowe, 22, first came to the attention of authorities in Little Rock in October 2018. Information from a undercover informant about drug dealing and possible child abuse led Little Rock police narcotics investigators and the SWAT team to raid the couple's home in a six-unit apartment building at 900 N Pine St. on Oct. 12, 2018.
According to an arrest report by detective Seth Thomas, police found several guns in the home, at least one of which was stolen, along with cocaine, marijuana and the prescription drugs hydrocodone, alprazolam and adderal.
Officers also found Lowe's 3-year-old son with "multiple bruises" to his face and head. A subsequent medical examination showed the boy had "excessive bruising [and] whip marks" as well as cuts to his back, legs, ear, face and stomach.
The couple were subsequently released on bond, but about 10½ months later, just before 1 a.m. Aug. 25, North Little Rock police officer Phillip Gangluff found a bloody and scraped-up Lowe at 4401 Camp Robinson Road.
Lowe said that Turnage had abducted her from her apartment at 5100 Velvet Ridge Road, telling her he was going to kill her and then himself, court filings show. She said when she saw police parked at 47th and Camp Robinson roads, she leaped from the car.
Turnage had surprised her while she was sleeping, Lowe told police. She said she woke to find Turnage holding a knife to her throat and covering her mouth. He then forced her to leave with him in her 2000 Toyota Avalon.
North Little Rock police caught up to Turnage a short while later at West 16th Street and Pike Avenue. He refused to stop for the pursuing officers so a state trooper rammed the fleeing vehicle in a pursuit intervention technique maneuver. Police reports show Turnage was in custody about 10 minutes after police found Lowe.
Turnage has been jailed ever since.
Lowe subsequently pleaded guilty to charges resulting from the October 2018 drug raid, which include endangering the welfare of a minor, permitting child abuse and drug trafficking charges, in exchange for five years on probation.
Metro on 12/10/2019