Gardner accused of attempted rape, kidnapping woman

FAYETTEVILLE — A Fayetteville man was arrested Friday after a woman told police he took her to an apartment complex against her will, held her at gunpoint and demanded she perform sex acts, according to police.

Cody Gardner, 26, of 2071 N. Chestnut St. in Fayetteville, was arrested in connection with kidnapping, attempted rape and aggravated assault. He was being held at the Washington County Detention Center on Monday in lieu of $100,000 bond. Gardner was given a May 20 arraignment date in Washington County Circuit Court.

A woman came to the Fayetteville Police Department on April 14 to report she had been kidnapped, according to a preliminary police report. During a subsequent interview, the woman said she had attended a house party on Windsor Avenue in Springdale on the evening of April 13 with a friend. Springdale police later broke up the party, she said, and she became separated from her friend and her cellphone battery went dead.

The woman told police Gardner offered to give her a ride home and she told him where she lived. As they began driving, the woman noticed another person in the car and that Gardner was not driving to where she lived.

When the woman asked where they were going, Gardner told her they were going to his residence because he “doesn’t give rides for free,” the woman told police.

Gardner drove the woman to Park Lake Apartments at 1753 E. Zion Road, in Fayetteville, pulled the woman out of the vehicle and walked her to an apartment, the woman told police. Once inside, the woman sat on the floor and Gardner blocked the door and told her she was going to perform sex acts on him, she told police. Gardner then retrieved a pistol from the fireplace, but later put it away and stepped away from the door to talk with the other man who had told Gardner he was taking matters too far, the woman said.

The woman took the opportunity to flee out the door, ran downstairs and began knocking on doors in search of help. The man who was with Gardner chased after her and allowed her to use his cellphone to call a friend, who arrived a short time later.

Police obtained video of the woman fleeing down the stairs, visibly upset and crying.

Gardner was interviewed Friday and gave a vague account of the events, but admitted he took the woman to an apartment, according to police. When asked if he had a firearm, Gardner said he did, but that he did not have it at the apartment when the woman was there. Police said Gardner’s gun matched a description the woman gave.

Gardner then admitted to police he did have the gun when the woman was at his apartment and it was on the fireplace, according to police.

Gardner