Beatrice, NE – A woman managed to escape her boyfriend’s grip in a case of alleged domestic violence, with help from a Walmart employee. Justis Barnhouse, 31, faces charges of assault by strangulation and third-degree domestic assault.
The escape occurred Tuesday after the woman, 16 years Barnhouse’s senior, had requested to return to her home in Kansas for two days. Barnhouse allegedly prevented her from leaving and took her cellphone, hindering her ability to alert law enforcement.
On Tuesday afternoon, the woman reported Barnhouse had strangled her five to six times. The couple visited Walmart in Beatrice, where the woman sought assistance from an employee.
She requested to be followed to the bathroom, where she disclosed details of the alleged assaults. The employee then contacted law enforcement.
Gage County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Diamond T Truck Stop Camper Row on U.S. Highway 77 after being informed the couple was headed there. Barnhouse was apprehended at a filling station and taken into custody at the Gage County Detention Center.