Fort Carson soldier charged with kidnapping, sexual assault in Quail Lake Park incident
Officials held a press conference on this story at 2 p.m. You can watch that above.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says a Fort Carson soldier has been arrested in the case of an alleged sexual assault and kidnapping near Quail Lake.
CSPD says they were dispatched to Quail Lake Park, located at 915 E. Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard, for a reported kidnapping on July 8 around 1 a.m.
According to police, the victim said that she was at the park with a friend and had returned to her vehicle when an unknown man in a pickup truck approached her. The victim said a man forced her into the pickup truck and drove her approximately two miles away. The suspect then sexually assaulted the victim at knife-point before letting her go, according to police.
"Cases like this are very difficult. Fortunately for us, these cases don't happen all that often, which makes it even more scary for our community," Commander Dan Thompson with CSPD said.
CSPD says that, using their real-time crime center, they were able to locate photos and video of a truck that matched the victim's description she gave to police. Further investigation showed that the truck had ties to Fort Carson, police said.
"It's important that our investigators get the best information possible. It's important that our investigators act tirelessly, like they have in this investigation, to make sure we're holding somebody accountable to remove that threat and the threat that they pose to that community," said Commander Thompson.
Additionally, CSPD was able to process DNA evidence, which created a profile for the suspect. CSPD says results have not yet come back confirming a match of the DNA collected and the suspect's DNA.
On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, police say they spoke with 19-year-old Caden Meade, who was later charged with first-degree kidnapping, sexual assault, and felony menacing.
According to CSPD, these are photos of the suspect's vehicle, which shows distinct damage to the front end:
According to Fort Carson officials, Caden Michael Meade started his career in the Army in June of 2024.
An official with Fort Carson provided the following statement:
We are aware Pvt. Caden Meade, 4th Division Artillery, 4th Infantry Division, was arrested by the Colorado Springs Police Department. 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson officials are cooperating with local law enforcement. We expect all Soldiers to always uphold the Army values. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty.
CSPD is asking that if there are any potential victims or witnesses, to come forward by contacting them at (719) 444-7000.
"There is some information out there indicating that some of Mr. Meade's behaviors were suspicious in the days up to and after this event taking place. We do not have any specific information identifying other victims, but that's where we're trying to get the community's assistance, and very interested in hearing in hearing any other experiences identifying any other victims that may be out there," said Commander Thompson.
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