Camilla Jessen
The police have arrested 31-year-old Justis Barnhouse.
A Walmart employee in Beatrice, Nebraska, helped save a woman from her boyfriend after she alleged he strangled her several times and held her captive for two days, authorities said.
According to a statement from the Gage County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrested Justis Barnhouse, 31, at a truck stop on U.S. Highway 77 on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
He faces charges of assault by strangulation and third-degree domestic assault.
Strangled six times
Barnhouse’s girlfriend, a 47-year-old woman from Hutchinson, Kansas, told investigators he strangled her five to six times earlier that afternoon.
She also claimed he took her cellphone, preventing her from calling for help, and refused to let her leave as she tried to retrieve belongings from a camper so she could return home.
The woman later accompanied Barnhouse to a local Walmart, where she managed to discreetly signal for help. Authorities said she asked an employee to follow her to the bathroom, where she revealed the alleged abuse and begged for assistance.
The Walmart worker immediately contacted police, leading to Barnhouse’s arrest soon after.
Feared for her life
The victim was not identified publicly in line with domestic violence protection policies. She reportedly told officers she feared for her life after repeated assaults.
Barnhouse was taken into custody without incident. It is unclear whether he has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
Law enforcement officials credited the quick-thinking Walmart employee for recognizing the danger and acting fast.
“Without that intervention, this situation could have ended very differently,” one officer said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
