The Fort Carson soldier arrested after investigators connected his vehicle to a July kidnapping and sexual assault in Quail Lake Park waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday to continue ongoing plea deal negotiations.

Caden Meade, 19, was charged with felony kidnapping, sexual assault and menacing, alongside assault and harassment misdemeanor counts, court records show. His July 16 arrest came over a week after the alleged assault at the popular Colorado Springs lake.

According to Meade's arrest affidavit, the victim of the alleged assault told police that Meade said she just "got picked" and it was "natural selection." Meade allegedly denied the crimes initially, but later opened up to detectives and detailed the assault, previous Gazette reporting states.

Meade appeared in custody from

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