NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
Metro police detectives late Friday afternoon charged convicted felon and parolee Harold Johnson with attacking a woman at the Best Western hotel on Division Street Friday morning.
Investigators said the 42-year-old victim, who was staying in Nashville from east Tennessee to attend a conference, was attacked as she walked in a hallway from her room to the elevator.
Johnson dragged her into a maintenance room where he attempted to rob and rape her while repeatedly striking her in the face.
The victim fought and screamed, attracting the attention of two hotel employees.
One of them entered the maintenance room, causing Johnson to quickly flee.
The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of her facial injuries. She has since been released.
Through interviews with the victim and hotel employees, detectives identified Johnson as the suspect.
He was found hiding inside an automobile parked in the driveway of his last known resident, approximately two blocks from the hotel.
Johnson was wearing the same clothing as the victim described and later acknowledged that he did indeed try to rob the victim.
Johnson was charged with attempted aggravated rape and attempted especially aggravated robbery and booked into the Metro jail on a $100,000 bond.
Records reflect that Johnson was convicted of two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of attempted aggravated robbery in 2006.
Sentences of 10 years, 10 years and six years were ruled to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 10 years.
Johnson was paroled and registered with the Nashville Police Department as an ex-convict in October 2010.
He was also convicted of robbery in 2001 and sentenced to five years.
Harold Johnson, 38, is charged with attacking a woman at a Nashville hotel Friday.
